By: Sandipan Bose
Claiming his 10th wicket haul in a Test match for the fifth time and after equaling Harbhajan Singh’s record, R Ashwin would have been the obvious choice for the man of the match award after the opening Test between India and New Zealand ended in Kanpur with the hosts winning game by 197 runs. But the commentators and other experts of the game felt that the award should go to a player who contributed both with bat and ball.
Yes, we are talking about Ravindra Jadeja. He may have taken few wickets than Ashwin in the match, but his scores of 42 and unbeaten 50 helped to swing the opinion in his favour. At the end of it, Jadeja was the most popular choice for the player of the match. He also bowled 24 maidens out of 68 overs. In other words, he wouldn’t have asked for a better Test match.
The best part about Jadeja’s all-rounder performance was the way he approached different departments of the game. First with the bat, he looked quite fearless – a trait which is visible in his batting from the Duleep Trophy games. He doesn’t hesitate to take a chance and quite decisive when it comes to stroke-making. He also loves hitting sixes. Out of seven over-boundaries that India struck, four came from Jadeja’s bat only in the match.
With the ball, words can’t describe his exemplary skills. Everything is right when Jadeja bowls. From his run-up, action to release, he has a penchant to test the best batsmen in the world. He is also immaculate with his line and length. All said and done, he is a real asset for the team. You will see more of Jadeja in the course of the rest of two matches of the Test series against New Zealand. By the time, bigger teams like England and Australia are here, Jadeja would be a force to contend with!
