Always under pressure to run through the opposition on home tracks, spinner marks welcome return to form with five-for
MUMBAI: During the Bangladesh series, Ravindra Jadeja became only the third left-arm spinner to cross the 300-wicket mark in Tests. But over the last few matches, his performance didn’t quite match his reputation. The wickets were drying up. The economy rate was above 3, sometimes above 3.50, than his career ER of 2.50. Before Friday’s 5/65 on the first day of the Mumbai Test against New Zealand, Jadeja’s last five-wicket haul was 13 innings ago, on his home turf in Rajkot against England at the start of the year.
But towards the second innings of the second Test in Pune, things started to turn for the better. He looked a more confident bowler and had hit the lines and lengths which got him so many scalps. That confidence served him well on Friday as his spell helped India bowl out New Zealand for 235. It was his 14th career five-wicket haul, of which 12 have now come at home.The left-arm spinner, soon to turn 36, has set the bar so high along with partner-in-crime R Ashwin that even a minor dip in form raises eyebrows. The competition has piled up too. Axar Patel has shown that he is ready to take over the mantle, not to forget the plethora of left-arm spinners impressing in the Ranji Trophy, from Manav Suthar to Shams Mulani. For the time being at least, Jadeja may have heaved a sigh of relief. In the process, he has also put his hand up for a spot in the starting XI in the five-Test series against Australia later this month.
So, what did Jadeja do differently to retain his mojo? “As an individual, the performance wasn’t that great in the first two matches. Didn’t try to do anything different (here),” Jadeja said after the day’s play.
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“Sometimes it’s all about luck as well. The Pune pitch didn’t have that much bounce. Here I got good bounce and turn. The ball was skidding as well once it pitched. Sometimes it happens that on turning tracks you are beating batters regularly but don’t get wickets. Sometimes the ball turns too much. What you need is a slight turn where it takes the edge of the bat,” said Jadeja.
Jadeja was bang on the money from his first ball and pooled in all his experience to slay the Black Caps’ batters. While he got the wellset Will Young and Tom Blundell with balls that pitched on middle and leg and turned away — the former caught the latter bowled — he also got one to come in with the arm to castle a clueless Glenn Phillips.
Things haven’t gone well for him and Ashwin this season but seeing captain Rohit Sharma backing the duo does boost their confidence. “Good that the captain is backing us. He knows what we have done for the team in the last 12 years, batting or bowling wise,” said Jadeja, who added that the sweltering conditions meant it was difficult to grip the ball.
Talking about India surrendering the good work done by the bowlers in the last 15 minutes, Jadeja felt the onus will be on the incoming batters to dig them out of trouble.
“It happens. It’s a team game. Can’t blame an individual. Everyone commits some mistake at some moment. The onus is on the incoming batters to start well in the morning.”
Jadeja also said he wanted to end his career undefeated at home, and was “sad” the run had been broken.
