CHENNAI: Amid the euphoria of Ravichandran Ashwin’s century, a performance that went slightly under the radar was that of Ravindra Jadeja’s. Had the 35-year-old completed his fifth Test century on Friday morning, the spotlight would have been on him, but the new ball and morning dampness got the better of his defence as he fell 14 short of the milestone.
But Jadeja has an ability to take small disappointments in his stride.”Yes, I got out today, but that’s part and parcel of the game,” Jadeja said with a smile after dismissing the two Bangladesh batters Litton Das and Shakib Al Hassan who looked set in the middle.
The Chennai Super Kings player, who calls the MA Chidambaram Stadium his home, is four short of the 300-wicket mark, a significant milestone for any bowler. “Yes, it’s a good opportunity for me to get there tomorrow,” Jadeja said.
India have won the last 17 Test series at home and it’s the Ashwin-Jadeja combo that has played a massive role in the success. While they have won numerous Test matches with the ball, this Chennai Test will probably be remembered for their 199-run batting partnership that destroyed Bangladesh in one-and-a-half sessions.
“Jaddu is one cricketer who has evolved so nicely. I always envy him, I have made that amply clear. He is so gifted and talented and has found ways to maximize his potential. I wish I could be him but I am glad I am myself,” Ashwin said after the day’s play.
When they bowl together, Ashwin is the one who experiments while Jadeja’s strength is to keep repeating the same thing for hours. “He keeps it really simple and can repeat it day in, day out. He is just an exceptional cricketer,” the 516-wicket man said.
The secret of the Ashwin-Jadeja combo is the fact that they both enjoy each other’s success, with the bat and with the ball. Ashwin had said on Thursday how Jadeja helped him as he moved towards his century, but Jadeja feels “Ashwin doesn’t need any advice”.
“I was just talking to him that we are not going to make errors because the wicket was good and we were batting well. Well played to him, a brilliant knock at his home ground,” Jadeja said.
Ashwin and Jadeja
Both are towards the back-end of their careers and have gone through different phases. As Jadeja became India’s No. 1 spinner abroad, Ashwin had to come to terms with the fact that it’s the left-hander’s batting that gave him the advantage.
Ashwin, though, has more Test centuries than Jadeja, but a muchevolved Chennai man acknowledged that he has learnt a lot from his colleague’s batting.
“Watching him bat over the last couple of years has given me insight on how I can be better. Both of us have grown together, and have done some special things. We really value one another at this stage and both of us are enjoying each other’s success more than ever before,” Ashwin said.
For the duo, the MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch over the weekend will be a perfect stage to make their Chennai fans happy, probably for one last time in Test cricket.
