Ravindra Jadeja has been in fantastic form with both bat and ball in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. After returning from a long injury lay-off, he returned as the Player of the Match in both the Test matches of the series. He scored an invaluable 70 in India's first innings of the Nagpur Test and picked up 7 wickets in the match. In Delhi too, he contributed with the bat by scoring 26 and picking up 10 wickets (3/68, 7/42) in the match. Despite all the good with the bat and ball, there is one aspect of his game that has coped with some criticism and after what transpired in the second session of Day 1 of the third Test in Indore, it is only likely to increase.
In the first ball of the fourth over of Australia's first innings, Jadeja dismissed Marnus Labuschagne after the batter dragged a short one back onto his stumps. But his innings carried on as the third umpire conveyed that Jadeja had overstepped. It was a telling moment in the game as Australia had just lost opener Travis Head in the second over and the seeing back of Labuschagne would have really put the visitors under a lot of pressure.
But it wasn't to be. As it turned out, Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja took Australia to 71/1 at Tea on Day 1, eyeing a big first innings lead after bowling India out for 109.
INDIA VS AUSTRALIA 3rd TEST LIVE SCORE
This is not the first time Jadeja's no-ball woes have robbed him and India of a wicket. The left-arm spinner overstepped in the second innings of the first Test in Nagpur to give a reprieve to Steve Smith. In total, Jadeja has overstepped a staggering eight times in the series so far. He bowled five no-balls in Nagpur. His performance in Delhi was better as he bowled only one no-ball but he bowled a couple of them on the first day of the third Test in Indore. The second one ended up being costly for India.
{{/usCountry}}This is not the first time Jadeja's no-ball woes have robbed him and India of a wicket. The left-arm spinner overstepped in the second innings of the first Test in Nagpur to give a reprieve to Steve Smith. In total, Jadeja has overstepped a staggering eight times in the series so far. He bowled five no-balls in Nagpur. His performance in Delhi was better as he bowled only one no-ball but he bowled a couple of them on the first day of the third Test in Indore. The second one ended up being costly for India.
{{/usCountry}}Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar were in the commentary box when Jadeja's no-ball gave a life to Labsuschagne and both of them minced no words. Gavaskar, in particular, was very critical of Jadeja.
"That's unacceptable... He has a couple of man-of-the-match awards but for a spinner to bowl no-balls like this... This could cost India. Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach) has to sit with him and make him bowl from behind (the line). He has got off the mark now Marnus, he would have been out for a duck," Gavaskar said in commentary.
"These little errors could prove costly on a track like this," Shastri added.