At 206-2, on a flat Sydney Cricket Ground pitch with Marnus Labuschagne on 91, it looked unlikely that Australia were going to make an error. But that’s the beauty of Jadeja. He just makes something happen without trying anything extraordinary.
Ravindra Jadeja is ecstatic after dismissing Australia’s Matthew Wade during Day Two of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. Pic/AFP
Ravindra Jadeja just makes everything look so easy. With the ball in hand, he takes a few small steps, delivers the ball repeatedly on a good length and waits for the batsman to make a mistake.
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At 206-2, on a flat Sydney Cricket Ground pitch with Marnus Labuschagne on 91, it looked unlikely that Australia were going to make an error. But that’s the beauty of Jadeja. He just makes something happen without trying anything extraordinary. The ball he bowled to Labuschagne landed where most of his deliveries do, but turned and bounced just enough to find the edge. It was the breakthrough India thoroughly deserved. It was a reward for all the pressure created by pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj at the start of Day Two.
Sustained pressure
The Indian bowling unit had only conceded 22 runs in 11 overs against two well-set batsmen with a 60-over old ball. In the past, especially in Australia, the game would have been taken away from the visitors, but this team is different. The bowlers just follow their plan and suffocate the opposition with sustained pressure. Even when Matthew Wade threatened to accelerate by hitting a couple of boundaries, Jadeja didn’t panic. He knew Wade was trying to hit him out of the attack, so he just held the ball back and beat him in flight.
Two wickets before the second new ball provided a small opening for Bumrah. And the leader of the pace department didn’t disappoint. He knocked over Cameron Green and Tim Paine with perfect in-cutters. The game was wide open and Jadeja made sure Australia couldn’t escape. He bowled yorkers to tailenders, just like a fast bowler and ran out Steven Smith from 70 yards with a direct hit. Only Jadeja can do such things. Jadeja wasn’t the only one who made everything look simple. With a willow in hand, Shubman Gill looked as composed as any 21-year-old who has opened the batting in the last decade.
Classy Gill
Gill has shortened his back lift on this tour and also made a conscious effort to shift across his stumps. But the most impressive part is that rarely did his hands get outside his right eye while defending or attacking. Gill combined all those batting traits to punch balls sweetly through the off-side. Standing tall at the crease, he pulled with ease and drove Nathan Lyon with authority through the covers. It was a superb maiden half-century and it was unfortunate for India that he departed late in the day.
Brief scores
Australia 338 all out (S Smith 131, Labuschagne 91, W Pucovski 62; R Jadeja 4-62, N Saini 2-65, J Bumrah 2-66) v India 96-2 (S Gill 50, R Sharma 26; P Cummins 1-19)
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