The Indian Test team currently bears a very young look. Shubman Gill, the captain, is 26. There are several other players under 30. In such a group, Ravindra Jadeja remains an anomaly. He is 37 and remains the connecting link to the era of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. Jadeja has 348 wickets and 4,095 runs in 89 Tests. However, he feels he could have done better with the bat. Batting lower down the order affected his performance.
“If you look at my entire Ranji Trophy career, my average is more than 60. I have three triple centuries and two 250-plus scores. Across my Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy career, and the first-class cricket I have played domestically, my batting average is more than 60,” Jadeja said while speaking to the host broadcasters.
“So somewhere, I had that belief that I had that ability if I batted higher up the order. Nothing is left when you bat at No. 9. Even in Tests, the situation feels like T20Is or ODIs. And sometimes the situation is such that I have batted at No. 8 and No. 9. So, when you are sitting in the dressing room with your pads on and, next to you, a fast bowler is selecting a ball, seeing all those things would bring down my morale and confidence.”
Talking about the first India vs Sri Lanka Test, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar picked up 2/17 as Sri Lanka collapsed to 99/5 in their first innings by lunch on Day 3.
The Sri Lankan top order had few answers to India’s sustained bowling pressure in Monday’s morning session, with no batter crossing 30. Left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav (1/25) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/6) also claimed a wicket each.
This came after India were bowled out for 462 within minutes of resuming at 460/9. Prasidh Krishna was caught behind off the fourth delivery of the third morning.
Devdutt Padikkal had scored 167 runs across the first two days, registering his maiden Test hundred, while KL Rahul (82) and Dhruv Jurel (51) also scored fifties.
India’s bowlers started strongly, with Mohammed Siraj having Nishan Fernando caught at slip for a two-ball duck.
Featured Video Of The Day
Yamal Laughs At Paredes vs Gavi ‘Fight Of The Year’ Poster During Parade
Topics mentioned in this article
