Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir is all praise for Ravindra Jadeja’s heroics vs Sri Lanka in the first test match at Mohali. However, Gambhir feels that this isn’t the all-rounder best knock in the red-ball format.
Ravindra Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 175-runs knock off 228 deliveries. His innings included 17 boundaries and three sixes, with a strike rate of 76.75. He helped India set a total of a mammoth 574 runs. Jadeja also took nine wickets in the match, to power India to a victory by an innings and 222 runs.
During a discussion on Star Sport, Gautam Gambhir was asked if the Mohali knock was worthy of being Jadeja’s best in his Test career. Gambhir replied, that knocks in away conditions would boost Jadeja’s confidence more.
He added, that even a 40-run knock against Australia or England will count more than against a century against Sri Lanka. Gambhir said:
“I don’t think so. I feel the innings Ravindra Jadeja played in Australia or the knocks he has played outside India, he will get more confidence from that. Stats can be very misleading. There was a time after the century where he was just milking – Dhananjaya de Silva, Asalanka and Embuldeniya were bowling but if you talk about Australia or England, the 40 or 50-run contributions there are probably much more important than this innings.”
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This knock is the by-product of how he has batted in overseas conditions: Gautam Gambhir on Ravindra Jadeja’s 175
While elaborating his point further, Gambhir said that the 175-runs knock is a result of how well Jadeja has performed in overseas conditions. He added that Jadeja has scored runs in difficult conditions, which has earned him an opportunity to bat at No. 6 or 7.
“These 175 runs are the by-product of how Ravindra Jadeja has batted in overseas conditions. You only see the end result but the lead up to these 175 runs, there has been a lot of effort put in that, he scored runs in very difficult circumstances and conditions and that is why he got a chance at No. 6 or No. 7,” said Gautam Gambhir.
Ravindra Jadeja became the first player in history to score more than 150 runs and pick up nine wickets in the same Test. The second test match between India and Sri Lanka is a D&N affair, which will take place in Bangalore from March 12.
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