Ravindra Jadeja's century on home ground Rajkot: Reviving India from 33/3

Ravindra Jadeja hit his fourth Test century in Rajkot on February 15, 2024. (File image via X)

The celebrations were remarkably muted, the usual flourish missing as he twirled the bat, showing off his ridiculously strong left wrist, as if it were a toothpick. Ravindra Jadeja had just brought up his fourth Test century, a pugnacious knock with watchfulness as its plumbline, but if there was restraint to his celebratory routine, it was due to the events of one ball earlier.

Sarfaraz Khan, the debutant, had blitzed England to the tune of 62 runs in just 66 deliveries when, in a rare lapse of judgement, Jadeja called him through for the single that would have taken him to three-figures, then changed his mind and turned his back on the young man. A direct hit from mid-on packed off Sarfaraz, Jadeja clearly owning up to his mistake and embracing contrition despite the deep-throated approbation of a sizeable audience at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Jadeja’s home ground.

It was about the only blemish from Jadeja on Day 1 of the third Test against England. Gasps of surprise had accompanied his march to the middle in the ninth over of the game to join his captain, India tottering at 33 for three and threatening to throw away the advantage of Rohit Sharma’s luck at the toss. Sarfaraz had been pencilled in to come in at No. 5, but instead, it was Jadeja who took guard, his experience and his left-handedness key elements surrounding the promotion.

Ravindra Jadeja: All-rounder

Jadeja has come a long way from being the dasher in Test cricket who didn’t quite believe he had the tools to succeed in the five-day game and therefore didn’t always put a price on his scalp. Since he started thinking like a batsman, the returns have been exceptional. Three of his four hundreds have come in the last two years, including a sensational unbeaten 175 against Sri Lanka, and he is now a genuine all-rounder, not just a bowler who is handy with the bat. On Thursday, Jadeja became only the 12th player in Test history to complete the double of 3,000 runs and 250 wickets; with 280 wickets against his name, it won’t be long before he joins the even more elite 3,000-300 club.

Jadeja's familiarity with the venue helped, of course, but more importantly, he showcased a responsibility, an understanding of the demands of the situation and immense confidence in his batsmanship as he joined his captain in an innings-retrieving stand of 204 for the fourth wicket. Once again without Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, there was a huge lack of experience in the Indian batting. There were two debutants (wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel being the other), and between Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rajat Patidar lay only 29 Test appearances. It was therefore imperative for the captain and his trusted all-rounder to do their thing, and neither man disappointed.

Twin centuries: Rohit Sharma & Ravindra Jadeja's 100

Mark Wood’s twin strikes in his first spell and an unexpected bonus from left-arm spinner Tom Hartley had driven England into the ascendancy when Jadeja arrived, his left-handedness intended to negate the threat of the left-arm spinner. Jadeja hit his stride immediately, playing in the ‘V’ primarily and seizing on any loose delivery, of which a reasonable amount was on offer.

At the other end, after a slightly hesitant beginning, Rohit too came into his own. The skipper hasn’t been so much out of touch as out of runs, getting off to starts but not making them count. Perhaps retreating into his shell and therefore batting out of character in previous matches owing to the thinness of India’s batting, he resurfaced as the Rohit the world has come to know and admire, setting aside the cares of captaincy that seemed to have afflicted his batting earlier in the series and treating each ball on its merit.

India needed Rohit to fire as much as Rohit needed it for his own sake, because nothing lifts a team more than seeing the captain lead from the front. Secure in the knowledge that the sassy Jadeja would hold up his end of the bargain, Rohit moved through the gears effortlessly, his use of the feet particularly impressive as it put the pitch in perspective.

It's raining 100s

Two centuries in India’s first innings has taken the hundred-count for the home side this series to four in five innings thus far. It could have been a lot more had Jaiswal, Rahul and Jadeja himself not got themselves out in the 80s in the first innings of the first Test in Hyderabad. All this would suggest that India’s batting is in the pink of health and that hundred-making isn’t all that difficult; neither is entirely true, but there is a reason why so many tons have already been registered this series, among them Ollie Pope’s epic 196 in Hyderabad.

In a dramatic shift from the past couple of years when India have opted to play on demanding, tricky, dodgy tracks at home where the ball didn’t just turn from the off but where the bounce too was unpredictable, the surfaces for the first three Tests have been a lot truer, a lot firmer, a lot less challenging to bat on. There is help for the bowlers, surprisingly even for the seamers, but as has been evident, for those willing to fall back on the basic tenets of Test batsmanship – patience, judicious shot-selection and a positive, uncluttered mind – there will be commensurate rewards. That more three-figure knocks haven’t been recorded is largely due to the high-risk approach to batting that England especially are wearing like a badge of honour, though even a cursory glance at the rate of scoring thus far will reiterate that Test batting in India hasn’t been more rewarding in the last two years.

When India began Friday’s Day 2 on a promising 326 for five, their hopes of adding substantially to that tally rested with Jadeja. After all, he was well set, the monkey of a century off his back and a good night’s rest probably allowing him to come to terms with his culpability in Sarfaraz’s run out. But that wasn’t to be. Jadeja fell inside the first 15 minutes, caught and bowled by Joe Root, but with his measured 112, he had given his bowlers, himself included, something to work with. That’s more than what the think-tank might have hoped for, one suspects, when they sent him in at No. 5, with India on 33 for three.

FAQs:

How many Test centuries has Ravindra Jadeja hit?

Ravindra Jadeja has hit four Test Centuries, including an unbeaten 175 off 228 balls against Sri Lanka in March 2022 - Jadeja went on to take nine wickets in the same Test match. In the first innings of India vs England Test 3 in February 2024, Jadeja hit 112 runs at a strike rate of 49.78.

How did Sarfaraz Khan get out in IND v ENG third Test at Rajkot?

Sarfaraz Khan had hit 62 runs off 66 deliveries when Ravindra Jadeja, who was batting at the other end, signalled to him to run for a single. Jadeja changed his mind and turned back, while a direct hit from mid-on dismissed Sarfaraz Khan. Jadeja owned up to his mistake.

How did Ravindra Jadeja get out?

Ravindra Jadeja was caught and bowled by England's Joe Root for 112 on Day 2 of the third Test in Rajkot. Following Rohit Sharma's 131 and Jadeja's 112, India are looking much stronger in the third Test of the India -England five Test series.

How many centuries have India hit in this Test series against England?

India have hit four centuries across five innings so far, including Yashasvi Jaiswal's memorable double-century at Visakhapatnam.