Team India put behind them their horrible Test series loss to New Zealand when they crushed the West Indies in the first Test match in Ahmedabad. The main man behind the immense success was local lad Ravindra Jadeja, who put up a clinic to bamboozle the Windies with both bat and ball.
Jadeja the best Test all-rounder for a reason
The southpaw, who has attained his career-best Test rankings as a batter, has been in tremendous form in Test cricket. Since 2023, Jadeja has mustered almost 1500 runs at an average of 43,, coupled with 88 wickets at a tremendous average of 26.6. He is levels above any other all-rounder in the game, both stats- and competency-wise.
Starting off as a bowling all-rounder, Jadeja has grown leaps and bounds as a Test batter. Unlike many others, Jaddu is adept in facing both spin and pace, an ability that has yielded him rewards in SENA countries. With 6 hundreds and 27 fifties to his name, he is surely the best all-rounder at the moment and rightfully occupies the number 1 spot in the ICC rankings.
In the first Test in Ahmedabad, Jadeja was at his best again. After a brief break post Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Jadeja mustered a century in the first innings. Clear of his role at number six, Jadeja fancied the left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and hit five sixes in his unbeaten century. He was quite untroubled in his innings and was one of the three centurions for India. He followed it up with a brilliant spell of bowling as he took four wickets with the ball.
Meanwhile, with his century, Jadeja closed in on 4000 Test runs tally. India declared their innings just before Day 3, with Jadeja unbeaten on 104. Interestingly, had Jadeja batted a few overs more and managed to make just 10 more runs, he could’ve created a huge history.
Currently sitting on 3,990 Test runs, Jadeja is just ten runs shy from completing 4000 runs. If he completes the formality in the second Test in Delhi, Jadeja will become the 18th Indian batter and only the second Indian all-rounder to achieve the feat. He would also complete the feat of becoming one of the rare players to have a double of 4000+ Test runs and 300+ Test wickets. Jadeja currently has 334 Test scalps to his name.
Players with 4000+ runs and 300+ wickets in Tests
| Player | Country | Totals Test Runs | Total Test Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Botham | England | 5200 | 383 |
| Kapil Dev | India | 5248 | 434 |
| Daniel Vettori | New Zealand | 4531 | 362 |
| Ravindra Jadeja (soon) | India | 3990 | 334 |
In the history of Test cricket, only three players have 4000+ Test runs and 300+ wickets. Those three are Sir Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori. With just 10 runs shy, Jadeja will be in the echelon of the greatest ever to play the game. He will complete the feat just days after his snub from India’s ODI team.
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