http://www.bagchiblog.blogspot.com
 |
| Jadeja taking a catch |
The “bits and
pieces” player was the top scorer with 77 runs to his credit in the Indian
innings of the World Cup semi final, the match India lost. While the top order
consisting of more glorified batsmen miserably failed reducing India to 5 runs
for three wickets it was the rearguard effort saw India cross the 200 mark.
Though Sanjay
Manjrekar, has since apologized for describing Ravindra Jadeja as a “bits and
pieces” player who, according to him, should not have found a place in the
national team. He preferred either a pure bowler or a pure batsman rather than
a player who was supposedly an all rounder.. But one wonders whether a team
would be complete with only bowlers and batsmen without any all rounder.
All-rounders are
what we have been lacking in the team for a long time. Ravichandran Ashwin, the
former off spinner, had a hidden knack of using the willow rather well. As he
started doing well with the bat he was quickly promoted in the batting order
and reckoned as an all rounder. And he didn’t do too badly. He even scored four
test centuries and was reputed being a “bowling all rounder”.
Likewise
Bhuwanesh Kumar, one of the current quartet of Indian speedsters, also showed
sone inclination to bat and he too was promoted in batting order. He has 3
fifties to his credit and bats at No. 7 or 8 in tests, according to the needs
of the situation in a match.
None of these
two are as genuine an all rounder as Ravindra Jadeja is. His bowling is superb
as he can fox the batsmen and keep them in check. His economy rate is first
rate. He has been edged out of the team because of the arrival of Yazuvendra
Chahal and Kuldip Yadav, the two wrist spinners. But none of these two have the
batting or fielding prowess that Jadeja has. He is a remarkably athletic fieldsman who can
stop balls or take catches while suspended in the air. His catch close to the
the boundary line in the Semi Final of 2019 World Cup that India lost was
phenomenal in so far as anticipation and athleticism was concerned. Then, of
course, he is a very good batsman who can wield the willow very well. Who can
forget him swinging his bat like a Rajput’s sword while acknowledging the
crowd’s appreciation after scoring a fifty in some of the test matches he
played in.
Therefore to
call Ravindra Jadeja a “bits and pieces player” was an anathema, an abomination
– an abhorrent use of a phrase of the English language. Ravindra Jadeja is a
complete cricketer who has picked up the “bits and pieces” of cricket only to
combine them and glue them together in his astute self. He has put out on full
display his cricketing ability many a times. An Indian commentator running downa bright star of Indian Cricket while commentating abroad is nothing but highly
reprehensible.
*photo from internet
No comments:
Post a Comment