Why Ravindra Jadeja holds the absolute key to India’s WTC Glory

Last week, when Ravindra Jadeja struck ten runs off Mohit Sharma’s final two balls to help Chennai Super Kings win their fifth IPL title, he became the jewel of the Yellow Army’s eyes in no time. After that, the franchise’s legion of followers went wild when they witnessed MS Dhoni – their beloved Thala – lift Jadeja and break down in tears. Despite doing wonders for the franchise for so many years, Jadeja was only popular among its ardent fans to a certain extent. However, the highest appreciation from Dhoni, who barely shows emotion on the field, has taken his fandom to a whole new level.

P.S. - The sequence in this chart is arranged according to the number of wickets taken by players.#RavindraJadeja pic.twitter.com/i71umfjsyv

— SportsCafe (@IndiaSportscafe) June 5, 2023

However, in England, where the pitches ideally do not assist spinners to the extent they do in India, the focal point will predominantly be how Jadeja bats in the ultimate clash. His batting average of 29.7 (after 21 innings) in the UK might not read as outstanding, but it’s only second to Virat Kohli (32.84 after 31 innings) among the current players. To give more context, Jadeja’s batting numbers in England are superior to India’s senior pros – Cheteshwar Pujara (29.61 after 30 innings) and Ajinkya Rahane (26.04 after 29 innings). Although Rohit Sharma averages 42.66 in the country, his sample size of playing 12 innings is too less to be considered.

Jadeja’s audacious impact with the bat was on display last July when India toured England for the delayed fifth and final Test. Then, in Birmingham, he scored a stunning 104 in the first innings to help India recover from 98/5 before eventually taking them to 375/9 before he departed. Despite his valiant knock coming in a losing cause, it was Jadeja who stood like a lone warrior while the others around him fell like a pack of cards. His 58-ball 23 in the second innings might not be as glamorous as the knock in the first, but the great determination suggests Jadeja knows how to last long in England.

Now, the question arises of how Jadeja can tackle the relentless Australian attack, consisting of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, and Nathan Lyon. Fair to say, his 29 average (after 21 innings at home and away) against the mighty opposition does not sound too promising. However, since India’s last visit to Australia in December 2020, he has been performing very well with the bat. Out of seven innings that he got an opportunity to bat, he managed to cross 25 runs five times, which included two gritty half-centuries. Yes, Jadeja might not have such prolific records against Australia similar to what Pujara (50.72 after 43 innings), Kohli (48.27 after 42 innings), Rahane (37.59 after 32 innings), and Shubman Gill (51.62 after nine innings) possess, but that does not take any value of his clutch knocks at home during the last series which later proved pivotal for India’s results.

Being someone who bats at the lower middle order for the country, it is no surprise that Jadeja’s knocks in the current WTC mostly came when India’s middle order collapsed. If not, he helped India to convert sub-par totals into substantial ones to keep his side as one of the title contenders. Out of 19 innings where he batted during this cycle, he departed after scoring in single digits only four times and under 20 on seven occasions. Not to forget the famous Mohali Test which was held in March 2022, where Jadeja’s 175*, followed by the match figures of 9/87, brutally relegated Sri Lanka to an embarrassing defeat.

pic.twitter.com/XK0YYHLCQC

— SportsCafe (@IndiaSportscafe) June 5, 2023

In the previous WTC final against New Zealand in Southampton, Jadeja showed batting resilience in both innings as well, lasting 102 balls (53 balls in the first innings and 49 balls in the second) at the crease where the others struggled to remain long in tricky batting conditions. This time, he has much more self-confidence after rescuing his side from many batting collapses under crunch situations. If Kohli and Gill – who have had spectacular IPL 2023 campaigns with the bat – and Pujara, whose purple patch in the English county appears not to be ended anytime soon, perform at least to a certain extent at the grandest stage, it will make Jadeja’s life easy and subsequently will allow him to play with more freedom. Nevertheless, even if they disappoint, Jadeja, with the sword in his hand, now has the aura to single-handedly help India to be second-time lucky at the championship.