Ravindra Jadeja – An example of how to improve as a cricketer

In came a call for the Nagpur Test against the English side and he delivered remarkably well as the extra spinner in the side. His comfort with the subcontinental conditions and his tight bowling line meant MS Dhoni used him for long spells to keep up the pressure.

Jadeja on the other hand, never failed to provide the goods for his skipper. His consistent efforts meant the Indian side had a balanced looked to it where they could boast 7 batsman and 5 bowlers in all the formats of the game.

Jadeja’s improved batting meant a more reliable number 7 for Team India

Whether it was his cunning left arm spin that was comparable only to a bowling machine or his blistering batting efforts in the slog-overs, Jadeja suddenly found himself at home. Yet, his best cricketing moment came against the Aussies when he helped his side to a famous series win with a total of 24 wickets to his name – a moment that consolidated his place in the side.

It had been a long time since we had a player that was astute enough to contribute to any facet of the game. And in Jadeja, the country was now looking up to a gamechanger with utmost hope to enliven the game in the most dire circumstances. His recent feats at the Champions Trophy proved that he was no more an inconsistent nomad in the side. In fact he means business, more so ever than anytime before in the Indian colours.

It wasn’t just surprising to see Jadeja unleashing his aggressive side on the grandest of stages but also the way he backed it up with a series of tremendous performances in all the departments. It was a trip where we found a belligerent opener in Shikhar Dhawan, a reinvigorated pace-battery and MSD’s last major trophy to complete his lavish collection, yet none could match the hysteria that surrounded the newly-found all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja.

However, critics would still point out the sluggish period he faced in the early 2012 season that made Jadeja reconsider his approach to the game, yet few bothered to dissect the statistical side to analyse how steadily he has climbed the rungs of professional cricket.

To hell and back – Jaddu’s resurrection has been remarkable

It’s not a game for every individual to just show up and assume the center stage folklore. In fact, it’s rather more heartening to see a career blossom after surviving all kinds of mental and performance related hassles that Jaddu had to deal with for the major part of his introduction to the international side.

And as far as the relationship with the fans and skeptics go, ‘Sir Ravindra Jadeja’ was never a comparable identity to Rajnikant (Even if it was, then Sir was winning the race by a country mile!). He was never superhuman when he faltered nor when he turned the tables in his favour. Yet, there wouldn’t be a better example on how a cricketer should improve than Ravindra Jadeja. And that deserves a cricketing knighthood if there was any!