On his 34th birthday, we revisit some of Jadeja’s extraordinary clutch plays that saved India and CSK.
Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja, one of India’s finest clutch players, turns 34 today. As a tribute to the living legend of the game, we have compiled a list of Jadeja’s top performances that saved India’s ship. Not just international cricket, we also take a look at how he drove Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to an Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy.
To begin with, we go back to 2014, when India visited New Zealand for a five-game ODI series. From the very first game, things looked bleak for the Indian team, having lost it by a significant margin. The second game, too, went in New Zealand’s favour. Even in the third game, the Indian openers failed to mark, and that is when the middle order took charge of the game. MS Dhoni and Ashwin scored their fifties, whereas Jadeja played till the last ball, scoring 66 and gifting India a much-needed draw. His gallant effort kept India’s hopes alive.
In 2017, Australia visited India for a four-game Test series. Our boys won the first game comfortably by eight wickets, but in the second game, Australia were determined to make a comeback. While other Indian bowlers failed to stop the wrath of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell, Jadeja’s lone act kept a check on the Aussies by grabbing five wickets in the first inning, followed by four in the second. His efforts drew the game, and India returned in the third game to win the series.
India lost the final against Australia in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2023. However, in the group stage, India defeated Australia, thanks to the efforts of bowlers who restricted the Kangaroos to 199. While all the Indian bowlers did a commendable job, it was especially Jadeja’s spells that rattled the Australians. In 10 overs, Jadeja picked up three wickets with only 28 runs conceded. Indeed, the Player of the Match award went to KL Rahul for his 97 when none of the Indian batters failed to score except Kohli; Jadeja’s stint stopped the Aussies from getting a big target on the board.
On July 9, 2019, India played New Zealand in the semi-final game of the 2019 ICC World Cup. This was one incident when Jadeja could not save the team from a heartbreaking loss but surely kept embarrassment at bay. Chasing a score of 239, India lost six wickets for merely 92 runs. Then came Jadeja and Dhoni, two players who were used to batting together in clutch situations from CSK days. While Dhoni gave stability, Jadeja started hitting fearlessly, scoring 77 off 59. India succumbed, but not without a fight, thanks to Jadeja.
In the 2023 IPL final, despite efforts from all the batsmen, the winning situation for CSK became tough, with ten runs required in the remaining two balls. In the eyes of many, the Gujarat Titans were already champions, but giving up is simply not Jadeja’s style. On the crease, Jadeja flicked the first ball for six towards the straight. In the final ball of the game, he played a sweep, and the ball went for a four. Ten runs in two balls in the final – Jadeja gave CSK its fifth IPL trophy.
