18 March,2017 10:18 AM IST | | Gaurav Joshi
With offie R Ashwin having a rare off-day, Ravindra Jadeja, the aggressive left-arm spinner from Rajkot makes waves with his accuracy as he bags his eighth fifer in Tests
Normally the dismissal of Virat Kohli is followed by a prolong silence in cricket stadiums across India. But in Bangalore, on the third afternoon, the minute Kohli was adjudged leg before wicket by the Decision Review System (DRS), the crowd roared. That was because the popular Ravindra Jadeja had been promoted to No.5.
Even the next afternoon when Ravichandran Ashwin was introduced in the attack, the crowd chanted, 'We want Jaddu'. Over the last six months Jadeja has become the second most popular pin-up boy in Indian cricket.
When the home season started in September, Jadeja was tagged as a back-up spinner to Ashwin. The label would remain with him until the end of the fourth Test against England. He had gone 14 innings without a five-wicket haul as he watched his partner Ashwin claim five-wicket hauls at will. Then, in the fifth Test against England at Chennai, when a draw seemed inevitable, Jadeja made the Chennai pitch come alive. There was that remarkable 30-yard sprint to catch a ball above his head and of course, the seven-wicket haul that took India to victory.
At Ranchi, Jadeja who picked just one wicket from 30 overs giving away 80 runs on the first day suddenly found his Midas touch. In the next 19.3 overs he not only picked four wickets giving away just 44 runs but also stopped the Aussies from getting anywhere near to the 500-run mark.
After play, Umesh Yadav stressed that Jadeja was in prime form. "The best part about Jadeja is that his accuracy makes him effective on any pitch. He continues to bowl at one spot and I think he is bowling is at his best."
Interestingly, it was on a pitch that was tailor-made for him in Pune that he was below his best. But maybe, that's because Jadeja has come a long way as a bowler in the last six months and he didn't need assistance from the pitch. He had worked out that, by plugging away at one spot with subtle variations, he was impossible to get away. His style that had brought him so much success on the flat tracks of Rajkot was now being translated into top Test performances. It was further indication on how far he has come as a spinner and why he is India's second-most popular cricketer after Kohli.
