Test winner Ravindra Jadeja hailed as great all-rounder

Ravindra Jadeja was hailed Monday as one of the world’s best all-rounders after his swashbuckling unbeaten 175 with the bat and nine-wicket haul with the ball propelled India to a first Test victory over Sri Lanka inside three days.

The left-hander’s match-defining knock in Mohali, his best in Tests, and figures of 5-41 and 4-46 with his left-arm spin saw Sri Lanka crushed by an innings and 222 runs on Sunday.

Former India pace bowler Irfan Pathan tweeted: “Best spin bowling all rounder? Certainly, no one comes close to @imjadeja at the moment!”

New captain Rohit Sharma said that Jadeja gave balance to the team with his array of skills.

“To me he is one of the top all-rounders,” Rohit said and added that he hoped to give him more batting opportunities. 

Jadeja, 33, is currently third in the ICC rankings for Test all-rounders behind compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin and number one Jason Holder of the West Indies.

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Back in 2008, Australian legend Shane Warne, who died suddenly on Friday aged 52, had called the rookie Jadeja a “rockstar” when they played together for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

“We were just coming out of our U19s and to share the dressing room with Warne was a huge thing,” Jadeja said, paying tribute to the leg-spinner who took 708 Test wickets. “He gave me a huge platform and post U19, it was a direct entry into the IPL.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted Sunday: “The ‘Rockstar’ as Warney named him is having some game in his memory… Fantastic.”  

Former India batting great VVS Laxman, now head of the National Cricket Academy, said that Jadeja had been “spectacular with both bat and ball, proving once again why he is arguably the top all-rounder in the world.”

Veteran cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle said on social media: “Delighted to be able to see Jadeja play like that. With bat and ball. Now, rightfully, among the top all-rounders in the game across eras.”

India were 228-5 when Jadeja came to the crease. He stood unbeaten after guiding them a mammoth 578-8 declared during which he enjoyed partnerships of 104 with Rishabh Pant, 130 with Ashwin and an unbeaten 107 with Mohammed Shami. 

It was the second Test hundred for the flamboyant left-hander, who is famous for his bat-twirling celebrations, though he has hit three first-class triple centuries, including a best of 331, batting at number four for his state side Saurashtra. 

He has played 58 Tests for India since his debut in 2012, scoring 2,370 runs at an average of 36.46 and has 241 wickets including 10 five-wicket innings. 

The match against Sri Lanka was ex-captain and batting superstar Virat Kohli’s 100th for India, but former opener Wasim Jaffer said it would now forever be known as “Jadeja’s Test”.