"Bits & Pieces" they said - Revisiting Ravindra Jadeja's unlikely heroics

There is perhaps no bigger obsession in India than the game of cricket. A by-product of our colonial past, the game flourished, evolved and was eventually mastered by the sub-continent.

The country’s diversity and assortment of cultures are often the genesis of a plethora of rifts and tensions, yet, these are the qualities that make it the unique nation that it is. And cricket is probably one of the few mediums that unite this truly diverse country.

Thus, when cricket’s biggest showpiece event - the World Cup - comes around every four years, the excitement and anticipation sweeping across the nation is unprecedented. One can only begin to imagine what an honour it is to make it to the 15-member team that represents the hope of 1.3 billion at the grandest of stages. However, when the stakes are as high as it is, these players are understandably under much scrutiny - sometimes rather unfairly.

2019 WC

India entered the 2019 World Cup as one of the favorites and maneuvered their way to the semi-finals with ease, where they faced a familiar nemesis - New Zealand. Clearly, the underdogs in the tie, the Kiwis proved David to India’s Goliathan might as the Men in Blue, chasing a score of 240, were quickly reduced to 92/6.

As the star-studded Indian batting line up faced the prospect of a tragic collapse at the hands of the hostile bowling arsenal of the Kiwis, it was a story that seemed not too unfamiliar for quite a few of us Indian fans.

For it brought back glimpses of memories of a certain night in Calcutta, when a much-fancied Indian team reeled dramatically under pressure against a high-flying Sri Lankan side at the 1996 World Cup semi-finals, chasing what seemed to be a competitive but manageable total. Over the years, there has been a lot discussed about that fateful night at the Eden Gardens, and perhaps it remains as one of the darkest chapters in Indian cricket.

Vinod Kambli walks off in tears as one of Indian cricket’s darkest chapters unfold at the Eden Gardens in 1996

Enter Jadeja

However, as fate would have it, the will of an unlikely hero would stand in the way of history repeating itself. Ravindra Jadeja - the prince of Saurashtra - certainly had plans of his own that evening. Known for his interest in horses, the touch of royalty had rubbed off on his batting. It was batting against all the odds, a magnificent counter-attack that suddenly got Kane Williamson and co. panicking.

Jadeja made batting look easy on a wicket, which barely an hour ago seemed impossible to bat on. He picked the loose balls with ease, and consistently rotated the strike with partner M.S. Dhoni. With the Indian backs firmly against the wall, it was an onslaught which perhaps the most optimistic of Indian fans wouldn't have expected.

The first six off Jimmy Neesham that went into the crowd over long-on seemed nothing more than a terminal agitation before the eventual final nail in the coffin. Soon after, however, Jadeja, up against slow left-arm of Mitchell Santner this time, found his second six - a comfortable loft over long on; clean and risk-free. And by the time he connected with his third six - a hoick over deep mid-wicket, again off Santner - television sets across the nation were turned back on. "Was there still light left at the end of the tunnel?" - we wondered!

Yet, in the midst of what one believes was one of the finest ODI batting displays in recent Indian cricket history, there was this one moment that probably defined that innings. As he reached his half-century mark, Jadeja pulled off his customary sword swing celebration.

With the target still miles away, the Indian dressing room looked subdued. Jadeja raised his arms, as if to signal.. “why the despairing faces; I’ve got this!”. It brought about an immediate reaction from vice-captain Rohit Sharma. With the cameras capturing these moments like it was part of an inspirational Bollywood movie, all of a sudden, it got us believing again. The entire nation was ready to pin their hopes on one man’s shoulders!

“You’re Strong!” -The Entire Nation was ready to pin their hopes on one man’s shoulders

Yet, when you think of it, this was a man, who was quite famously termed as a “bits and pieces” player by a certain pundit on air, barely a few days before the semi-final - an event that brought about unprecedented media attention and debate. And to be fair, he had indeed been struggling to cement his place in the Indian ODI setup. A genuine long term all-rounder had traditionally been India's "holy grail" in limited overs cricket, since the retirement of India's mercurial former captain Kapil Dev back in the 90s - an all-rounder who could merit a claim in the side, purely with either his batting or bowling credentials.

Jadeja was already an integral part of the Test squad but his inconsistent batting form meant, he didn’t even feature in the starting line up during the initial phase of the tournament. Moreover, with the rise of medium pace all-rounders in the team - the likes of Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar - things were far from ideal for Jadeja, going into the World Cup in England, a place regarded more conducive to seam bowling.

This was, however, in the midst of a high-pressure situation, a sign of supreme confidence and self-belief. A world cup semi final; the team looking down the barrel and a player's credentials under severe scrutiny - the stakes couldn't have been higher. Jadeja, on his part, had to fight off his own demons, while rescuing a near-impossible team crisis.

Knowing very well that his wicket would expose India’s tail-end, he produced a fearless and aggressive brand of batsmanship as he kept India in the game till the dying embers of the match.

Well, perhaps this is the kind of extraordinary character you need to make it this far in life. We often take these so called "fringe" players like the Vijay Shankars and Shivam Dubes of Indian cricket for granted. It’s easy to disregard the years of toil and confidence-building that has gone behind in making a single appearance in those blue shades of the country’s most loved sport. Yet, who knows, on their day, they might exemplify traits that are beyond the capabilities of someone like you and me; traits of a battle-hardened individual, having spent years in the often unforgiving Indian domestic circuit.

It was Jadeja’s day, albeit the fact that it didn’t end the way he would’ve liked. India narrowly fell short of bagging a shot at the title decider later that week. Yet, it wasn’t an unceremonious exit as it once had looked like. Jadeja had not even been in the picture till very late in the tournament. And yet, here he was, almost taking India to a famous comeback win.

If ever there was some glory in defeat, this was it, I was a display of the team’s undying spirit and resistance at the face of adversity - a gentle reminder for all of us of how heroes can emerge in sports out of nowhere.