Ravindra Jadeja doesn’t appear like a man with a rapacious desire for success. His batting is neat, bowling compact and he glides around the field like a joyous, self-content child on a brand-new skateboard. There is some flamboyance, but mostly in sword celebrations to mark milestones.
Yet, for all the simplicity and minimalism, there is an innate capacity to be smart. He may not be a better bowler than R. Ashwin, with whom he is perceived to be in competition. He may never bat better than any of those above him.
The extra lung
But, he flows like water, filling all possible gaps. He makes this Indian team tick. He is the side’s extra lung.
On day two of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium here on Saturday, Jadeja was at his best. The 33-year-old scored a chanceless 175 n.o., a career-best score and his second Test century.
He added 130 runs to his overnight score off just 146 balls and was also involved in three 100-plus partnerships — with Rishabh Pant, Ashwin and Mohammed Shami — as India racked up a mammoth 574. Twenty-four overs later he struck with only his second ball, trapping Dimuth Karunaratne (28, 71b, 5x4) in front to end the Lankan skipper’s dogged stay.
The visitors eventually finished on 108 for four at stumps; Lahiru Thirimanne and Dhananjaya de Silva were both out lbw to R. Ashwin, the former to a ball that held its line while the latter paid the price for a reckless slog-sweep.
The fast and furious Jasprit Bumrah squared Angelo Mathews up and had him leg-before, and was unlucky not to have sent back Pathum Nissanka, whose stumps were rearranged by a superb slower off-cutter that turned out to be a no-ball.
The visitors are now a whopping 466 runs behind on a pitch where the ball is turning, reversing and there is variable bounce. The best time for batting seems long over; Sri Lanka will need a miracle.
Ashwin on centre-stage
But early in the morning, it was the classy Ashwin who took centre-stage, driving beautifully through the covers and dancing down the track to the spinners. The offie’s 50 came off 67 balls.
Jadeja, after a sedate start, shifted gears and was severe on tweakers Lasith Embuldeniya and de Silva, hitting them all around the park.
A driven four and nudged single brought Jadeja his century. The team 500 came following a six down the ground and a swept four off Embuldeniya. He quickly got to 150 by sending de Silva soaring over long-off.
A flat Sri Lanka — missing paceman Lahiru Kumara because of a torn hamstring — was going through the motions.
A comic run-out miss ensued when Shami and Jadeja were stranded at one end, only for a blind-sided Vishwa Fernando to hit the stumps at the same end.
Best at No. 7
Rohit Sharma finally declared with Jadeja on 175, the last big hit a terrific straight six off Embuldeniya. The score was the best for anyone batting at No. 7 for India, going past Kapil Dev’s 163. He led the team off at the day’s end to widespread applause, and with a promise for more.
