“Five wickets fell, disrupting South Africa’s innings after a noteworthy batting performance that brought Rohit Sharma into the spotlight at the Eden Gardens on Sunday evening.
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Ravindra Jadeja : Bowling Scenario :
In a characteristic bowler’s instinct, Ravindra Jadeja almost compelled Rohit Sharma to opt for a review. However, what set this incident apart was Sharma, standing as the lone slip, didn’t need much convincing. The stump microphone captured the India skipper’s voice, expressing in Hindi that the review was worth it because he was the last recognized South African batsman. The ‘he’ in question was Heinrich Klassen, and with South Africa at 40/3 in the 13th over, the risk seemed justifiable.
On a night when India’s bowlers once again performed cohesively, even though it was surprising that Jasprit Bumrah remained wicketless, and by the time Kuldeep Yadav, who cleaned up the tail, was brought into the attack, South Africa was already struggling at 64/6. Sharma’s judgment was vindicated as Ravindra Jadeja’s delivery pitched on the leg, and Klassen couldn’t successfully execute the sweep. In the following over, Mohammed Shami and KL Rahul swiftly called for a DRS (Decision Review System) review, and Sharma concurred.
IND VS SA Match HIGHLIGHTS :
Once again, India’s decision was accurate. Rassie van der Dussen was dismissed after being hit on the back leg by Shami, making it 40/5 after previously being 40/4. South Africa’s pursuit of India’s score of 326/5 was effectively thwarted. The bowling performance was so commanding that Sharma could have even considered giving Virat Kohli a chance to bowl, as the crowd chanted, ‘Kohli ko bowling do’ around Eden Gardens.
Shami has made Eden Gardens his home since 2010 and, in this World Cup, he demonstrated his prowess. He dismissed Aiden Markram earlier with a delivery that swung in towards the off-stump and moved away, resulting in an edge that was brilliantly caught by Rahul. Shami’s overall figures of 2/18 took his wicket tally to 16 in the tournament, placing him fourth on the list of top wicket-takers.
Keshav Maharaj had already demonstrated that the pitch favored spinners. Although Maharaj’s deliveries didn’t rush at batsmen like Ravindra Jadeja’s, one managed to deceive Shubman Gill as it pitched on the middle and leg, spun away, and disrupted the stumps. Even though Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had created immense pressure on South Africa, and Siraj had accounted for Quinton de Kock’s wicket, it was fitting for Sharma to introduce Ravindra Jadeja from the High Court End in the ninth over.
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Within three deliveries, Ravindra Jadeja extended Temba Bavuma’s poor run in the World Cup. The South African skipper struggled to decide whether to play forward or stay in the crease and was bowled by a delivery that came in rapidly and spun away. The delivery that dismissed David Miller didn’t turn, but the one that dismissed Maharaj did. After facing 20 dot balls, Kagiso Rabada ran out of patience and hit one straight back to the bowler, giving Jadeja his five-wicket haul, making him the first Indian spinner to achieve this in the tournament.
Ravindra Jadeja’s accurate and pacey deliveries, directed at the stumps, left the batsmen guessing which ball would turn and which wouldn’t. He was too hot to handle even for the second-placed team.
“I think the pitch was more challenging when we batted. It offered turn and had low bounce,” Ravindra Jadeja commented after the match. When the pacers provide a strong start, it enables the spinners to experiment with their variations, he added. India’s decision to bat first was also a way to challenge themselves before the knockout stage.
In addition to Ravindra Jadeja’s impressive bowling figures of 5/33, his quick 29 runs off just 15 balls, which included a six and two fours against Marco Jansen in the final over, exemplified his all-round abilities. As India’s coach Rahul Dravid pointed out, it’s not easy for a No. 7 batsman to consistently contribute, as they are not always guaranteed a chance to bat.
“The role of an all-rounder is to score 30-40 runs when it’s challenging and break difficult partnerships. That’s what I aim to do. And as for my fielding, I’m never complacent about it,” Ravindra Jadeja stated.
While Ravindra Jadeja may have flown under the radar in this World Cup, Sunday’s performance showcased his exceptional skills.”
