Top 5 Ravindra Jadeja knocks in international cricket

#2 66* vs New Zealand, Auckland – 2014 (3rd ODI)

Jadeja batted brilliantly with the tail to help India manage a tie.

This is perhaps Jadeja’s best knock in limited-overs cricket. India fell marginally short in run chases in the first two ODIs. Being 2-0 down and chasing 315 to stay alive in the series, India needed solid performances at the top and a couple of good partnerships.

However, none of that happened as India slipped to 184/6 in the 36th over. And with MS Dhoni (who scored 50) gone, the game looked dead and buried. Jadeja (demoted to No. 8 after a string of poor scores) joined Ashwin in the middle with 130 runs to get in about 14 overs.

The way Jadeja and Ashwin (65) counter-attacked was brilliant. They forged a brilliant 85-run partnership for the 7th wicket as they took India closer. With Ashwin gone and India still needing 46 in 5 overs, Jadeja took the responsibility of taking the game deep. He started farming the strike but still lost partners at the other end.

With one wicket in hand and 18 runs to get off the final over, Jadeja brought it down to 12 off 3. At that moment, Kiwis would’ve fancied their chances. But Jadeja had other plans. He struck a four and a six to bring it down to 2 off the final ball. However, he could manage only a single to help India tie the game and kept the series alive. Jadeja finished with a superb 45-ball 66 and was awarded the Player of the Match.