Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket PlayersFifty shades of Ravindra Jadeja: The art of rescuing India with half centuries
Ravindra Jadeja produced a magnificent attacking fifty as India cricket team seized the lead against Australia cricket team on Day 3 of the Dharamsala Test. Here is a look at other attacking fifties from the left-hander that have rescued India
Ravindra Jadeja has rescued India cricket team by playing some attacking innings in Test matches. On Day 3, he smashed his seventh fifty and shared a 96-run stand for the seventh wicket with Wriddhiman Saha as India took a vital lead against Australia cricket team. (Dharamsala Test, Day 3 Live updates)
The left-hander survived a testing period from Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins but hung in as he helped India erase the deficit. Mixing caution and aggression, Jadeja helped the team erase the deficit on an important day in the deciding Test. (Live Scorecard)
His knock of 63, which included four fours and four sixes, was not the first time that Jadeja has turned the course of the match with an attacking 50.
His knock drew comparisons with his effort in the Lord’s Test against England cricket team when he helped India break the overseas jinx in style.
Hero at Lord’s
In that Test, England had taken a vital 24-run lead in helpful conditions for the bowlers and in response, India were 235/7 and still not out of danger.
Read more | Why Steve Smith hides his shoe laces? Aussie skipper’s many superstitions
Jadeja turned the game on it’s head and shared a 99-run stand for the eighth wicket with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who stroked a vital fifty.
The efforts of Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar helped India set a target in excess of 300 and India finally broke their overseas losing streak with a 95-run win, their first win in Lord’s after 28 years.
Kiwi squash
At the start of India’s marathon 2016/17 season, India took on New Zealand in the first Test at Kanpur. The hosts were on top as Jadeja’s haul of 5/73 helped India take a 49-run lead.
Read more | Kane Williamson slams record-equalling century against South Africa at Hamilton
Having hurt New Zealand with the ball, he proceeded to hurt Kane Williamson’s team further by slamming a 58-ball 50 after fifites earlier from Murali Vijay (76) and Cheteshwar Pujara (78). He smashed two fours and three sixes as India set New Zealand a target of 434 runs but the visitors capitulated to a 197-run loss.
England’s tormentor
Jadeja once again came back to hurt England, this time at home.
In the third Test in Mohali, India were in a tricky situation at 204/7 in response to England’s 283. The left-hander turned the tables spectacularly on England by stitching partnerships with the tail and taking India to safety.
Read more | Shaun Tait, Australia’s 2007 World Cup hero, retires from all forms of cricket
He first began the revival act by sharing a 97-run stand with Ravichandran Ashwin for the seventh wicket and an 80-run stand for the eighth wicket with Jayant Yadav.
Although Jadeja was unlucky to miss out on a century, his 90 had helped India take a 144-run lead. England never recovered and they lost by seven wickets to fall behind in the five-match series.
In the final Test of the series in Chennai, Jadeja was the one-man army. After England were decimated by KL Rahul’s 199 and Karun Nair’s historic triple century, Jadeja demoralised the England players with a 55-ball 51.
Read more | West Indies vs Pakistan: Shadab Khan shines on debut as visitors register easy win
His 138-run stand with Karun ensured that India finished on 754/7 declared, their highest-ever total in Tests. After his job with the bat, Jadeja proceeded to take 7/48, his best haul in Tests as India sealed the five-match series 4-0.
Whenever Jadeja has smashed an attacking fifty in the past couple of seasons, India have won.
After his exploits in the Dharamsala Test, one will be hoping for a similar result as India eye a series win against Australia and end the season unbeaten.
