Ravindra Jadeja, India’s top all-rounder, achieved a significant milestone by securing his 200th wicket on home turf. He accomplished this feat during the second innings of the third Test against England, dismissing the opposition captain, Ben Stokes.
Following a great and much-needed hundred in the first innings, Jadeja carried that momentum into his bowling effort, setting two more important records in front of the home crowd at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
In his initial inning, Ravindra Jadeja provided a solid 112 runs, complementing Rohit Sharma’s impressive 131-run knock and helping India reach a total of 445 runs. This was Jadeja’s second hundred in a Test match in Rajkot and his fourth in all international red-ball games. All of these scores came in his third Test match at this venue.
While he played a crucial part in India’s push for a 400+ score, the only blip in Jadeja’s performance on day 1 was a mistake that resulted in the run-out of debutant Sarfaraz Khan. Sarfaraz, who was playing exceptionally well and had hit a composed half-century, fell victim to a mix-up initiated by Jadeja, combined with a precise throw from Mark Wood. Unfortunately, this meant that Sarfaraz’s debut inning was cut short at 62 runs, just when it seemed he might score a century on debut.
Maintaining his excellent form, Ravindra Jadeja also displayed his bowling prowess by claiming 2 wickets, marking his 200th and 201st wickets on home soil. Rajkot proved to be a fitting setting for Jadeja to join the elite list, led by the former head coach and legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble.
At 35 years old, Ravindra Jadeja has notched up 3005 runs and taken 283 wickets in Test cricket. His current focus lies on securing a victory in the ongoing Test match to extend his team’s lead over the visitors, who aspire to achieve what no team has done since 2012 – beat India in a red-ball series on Indian soil.
Jadeja has a history of setting records. In 2013, he became the first Indian bowler since Anil Kumble in 1993 to top the ICC bowler’s rankings. In 2019, he made history again by becoming the fastest left-arm bowler to claim 200 wickets in Test cricket. Undoubtedly, Jadeja is a relentless record-chaser, and a triumph in the 3rd Test would be a fitting conclusion to his return on home turf.
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