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

Ritam Chatterjee

ByRitam Chatterjee, SportsCafe Editor

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When it comes to picking India’s all-time greatest Test players, Ravindra Jadeja’s name unhesitantly pops up, if not at the top of the charts. Therefore, overreliance on him in the WTC final is nothing sort of a surprise, especially because he is going through an absolutely purple patch.

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.

However, IPL 2023 is now history. Right after its conclusion, the focus has shifted toward the WTC final, where India will play against Australia’s juggernaut at The Oval with the aim to secure the prestigious title – something they failed to secure two years ago on their first attempt. Considering his substantial impact over the years in red-ball cricket, Jadeja will have the spotlight over him again for a second time in a matter of a couple of weeks. After all, with him being one of only two players (the other is Imran Khan) who have had 2000+ runs at 35 or more average and 200+ wickets at 30 or below average, there is little doubt about his place among the all-time greatest all-rounders. And, unlike the club, his immense contributions are highly adored by fans across the country.

Even though Jadeja’s tally of 64 Tests is way fewer than Sir Garfield Sobers (93 Tests), Kapil Dev (131 Tests), Imran Khan (88 Tests), Jacques Kallis (166 Tests), and Ian Botham (102 Tests), the impact that he has already made in a comparatively short period in the format has propelled him to share the same stage with some of the most decorated all-rounders the world has ever seen. Over time, Jadeja, hailed as a pure athlete, has only moved a step upwards, and now, more importantly, he is at the peak of his powers.

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.

In the Nagpur Test, where batters were struggling to stay in the middle for a while, he came to bat when India were left reeling at 168/5 in the first innings. He left the field after guiding his team to reach 328/8, courtesy of a tireless 185-ball 70. Even in Delhi, the conditions were similarly dry, and batters looked uncomfortable in the middle, his 74-ball 26 rescued India from 66/4 in the first innings. Both knocks played crucial roles in helping India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, and the outcome strengthened the team’s chances of advancing to the WTC final. Apart from taking 22 wickets, Jadeja’s extremely-important batting contributions in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy were not overlooked by the officials, as he was rewarded with the Player of the Series trophy. Even though the English conditions are drastically different than in India, Jadeja will enter the field with a physiological advantage over a side that appeared to be an undefeatable force in most parts of the cycle.

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.

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.

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