All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shrugged off comparisons with legendary Kapil Dev after playing a pivotal role in Team India’s win in the first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad. He emphasized that he isn’t focused on records and is simply aiming to stay fit and play as many matches as possible.
Jadeja earned the Player of the Match award as India secured a dominant innings-and-140-run victory in the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday, October 4. The 36-year-old starred with an unbeaten 104 in India’s first innings and then took 4-54 from 13 overs, helping dismiss West Indies for 146 in their second innings.
Despite his all-round exploits drawing comparisons to former India captain Kapil Dev, Jadeja downplayed the parallels at the post-match press conference. When asked about it, he responded:
“Sir, you are putting pressure on me now. Now, I have to think about scoring another 1,000 runs and picking up another 60-70 wickets. At this stage, I am enjoying my cricket. I am not thinking about other records and milestones. I am working on my fitness, so that I can continue doing what I have been doing since so many years. That’s about it.”
“We Were Considering A Declaration Last Night” – Ravindra Jadeja
Fans were in for a surprise early on Day 3 in Ahmedabad when Team India declared their first innings at 448-5, holding a lead of 286. While some experts believed the team could have continued batting, Ravindra Jadeja revealed that the idea of declaring had been considered as early as Day 2. He said:
“We were thinking about declaration last night as well. We thought on this wicket 280-plus runs would be good enough. So, that’s the thing and we did a great job.”
Jadeja took four wickets in India’s second innings, while pacer Mohammed Siraj starred with a seven-wicket haul in the match. After taking 4-40 in the first innings, Siraj added 3-31 in the second.
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