ICC World Cup 2019 | Kevin Pietersen and Sachin Tendulkar praise Ravindra Jadeja and point out what he brings to the field
Sachin Tendulkar and Kevin Pietersen have supported Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion in the team’s playing XI as they highlighted the contributions he makes on the field. The backing would be a welcome change for the all-rounder having received some harsh criticism from some analysts recently.
With the middle-order having struggled throughout the tournament, Ravindra Jadeja was finally given a chance to represent the country in India’s final round robin game against Sri Lanka. Brought in as a replacement for Kuldeep Yadav who was dropped after some average performances, Jadeja was supposed to act as the second spinner for the team and add depth to the batting. He did not disappoint, as an excellent economical showing saw him end with 1/40 from 10 overs.
The performance saw him earn a spot in the starting lineup in the semifinal, where he put in an even finer display, going for only 37 runs and picking up the crucial wicket of opener Henry Nicholls. Indian analyst and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar had earlier described him as a ‘bits and pieces player,’ which Jadeja did not take lightly and bashed him on Twitter saying he had already achieved more in his career than Manjrekar. Fellow analysts Tendulkar and Pietersen also publicly backed the 30-year-old and his significance to the team.
“Jadeja created a new angle while making a slight change in the way he approached the crease. And that way the batsmen felt almost like facing an off-spinner,” Tendulkar was quoted saying by Fox Sports Asia in a broadcasting show.
Jadeja has astonishingly stopped 41 runs in the field and leads the chart in the aspect, even though he has only played a couple of games. Martin Guptill is next on the list with 39. Kevin Pietersen was all praise for the individual, describing him as a three-dimensional player who can bat, bowl and field and should be someone who is first on the team sheet in the fifty over format for any team.
“Jadeja is a not a bits and pieces player and he would have been a sure pick in my side if I was the captain,” explained Pietersen.
Ravinra Jadeja has 2,000-plus runs and 175 wickets in 152 ODIs and will be looking to bail his team out from a difficult situation against New Zealand if the chance comes.
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