India vs Sri Lanka, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Vibrant Ravindra Jadeja gives India an extra dimension that's tough to ignore

Ravindra Jadeja is ubiquitous on the cricket pitch. He is here, there and everywhere, prowling like a shrewd panther. Flying on the field. Making diving stops. Scoring direct hits. Taking diving catches. Completing deliveries and overs in milliseconds or twirling his mighty bat after a landmark score.

You cannot keep him out of action.

For the last few days, he had been ubiquitous off the field as well. All over social media and news sites with his views on Sanjay Manjrekar’s commentary on Twitter. He divided opinions and also copped criticism. Twitter was abuzz.

Three days later, he was out on the field at Headingley, flying around, finally in India’s first XI for a World Cup match and making things happen.

Four balls in and he had already garnered a wicket to his name.

It’s all happening. With Jadeja, it has to.

That wasn’t the first bit of action from him, though. Earlier, he had set the tone with three diving stops at backward point. Two off Karunaratne’s bat. Off the third ball of the fourth over, Karunaratne crunched one off the backfoot off Bumrah and Jadeja dived to his wrong side to make the stop.

Bumrah was all smiles as he turned back from his follow-through and applauded. The next ball Bumrah sent back Karunaratne, caught behind.

Jadeja did not catch the ball, neither did he take the wicket, but he had played a small part in that dismissal.

Such vibrancy on the field doesn’t just rub off on the bowler and pump him up, it also frustrates the batsman when you have one run-scoring outlet shut off.

Bumrah had bowled eight dot balls in a row and Jadeja made sure that the choke was maintained by not giving away a run off the ninth. Karunaratne played a loose shot off the tenth and surrendered to frustration.

Jadeja had earlier made a good stop off Karunaratne and then made another diving stop off Avishka Fernando.

Against England at Edgbaston, it was Jadeja’s brilliance that had helped India finally break the rampaging Jason Roy-Jonny Bairstow partnership. He had charged forward from long on and pouched a splendid diving catch to send back Roy.

He is capable of creating such impacts out of nowhere.

Though he hadn’t played a single match in the World Cup, he was still making an impact as a sub. After he dived to stop Fernando’s steer, the broadcaster flashed a statistic – Runs saved: +4 in the inner ring and +11 in the outfield. A total of 15 runs saved.

Four overs later, he is handed the ball and four balls later he is celebrating his first wicket of the tournament.

Jadeja is buzzing. Probably just like his Twitter mentions in the last few days.

He was the only player of the original Indian squad who hadn’t played a match in the World Cup. And here he was, making things happen straightaway with his first appearance.

The first ball was delivered at 88kmph, Fernando defended it from the crease. The next ball is also at 88kmph, a touch wide, Fernando drove it off a slight outside edge to deep point for a single. The next ball is a touch faster at 91kmph, Kusal Mendis defended it back. The fourth ball, Kusal Mendis skips down the wicket, Jadeja sees it early and increases his speed, imparts more revs, it’s 93 kmph. It grips and turns and beats Mendis comprehensively on his forced push. Dhoni flicks off the bails in a flash. Mendis is totally outfoxed.

Jadeja doesn’t just frustrate you with his accuracy, he can outthink you as well. And on a wicket which offers the slightest of turn, he becomes a dynamite.

He bowled eight overs unchanged in his first spell (8-0-21-1) and didn’t give away an inch. 60 percent were dot balls (29/48) and not a single boundary conceded.

Sri Lanka went into rebuild mode. Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne steadied the Lions. Both hit fifties. And then Kohli called back Jadeja to make things happen. He nearly did. Off the second ball. Mathews mistimed his loft to long on. Bhuvneshwar spilled a running catch. Mathews was on 61. He went on to score 113. In between, he hit Jadeja for two sixes (one off a leading edge) and a four and nearly got stumped.

Jadeja ended with 10-0-40-1. Apart from Bumrah (3.70), every bowler went for five an over.

While Kuldeep bowled a little bit full, Jadeja bowled on length and a good length, giving the batsmen very little time to adjust as he varied his pace well and didn’t allow them to use their feet.

He was flighting them well. And VVS Laxman pointed out an important change in Jadeja’s bowling.

“He’s got deliveries that go away from the right-hander and some balls hold the line,” Laxman told the host broadcaster in the innings break. “What was really important to see was him flighting the delivery because you want your second spinner to pick wickets and that’s the change in Jadeja which is fantastic to see.”

In the first half an hour and in those 10 overs, Jadeja showed the versatility he brings to the table and also the mental strength. He lost his place in the ODI side for a year owing to his inconsistent form coupled with the wrist-spinners’ success, but he bounced back with a Man of the Match performance against Bangladesh in his comeback match.

Since then, he has had the second-best economy rate among the Indian bowlers – 4.70. He brings in control and wicket-taking ability. Add to it he is a decent bat down the order.

The Saurashtra all-rounder had made the case to be included in the playing eleven before the tournament with his all-round effort against New Zealand in the warm-up match. Striding out at a precarious 81/6, he displayed maturity, game sense and shepherded the tail to propel India to 179 with a 50-ball 54. He followed it up with figures of 7-0-27-1.

Going into the Sri Lanka match, India were still searching for an ideal combination. Jadeja has again made a compelling case for his inclusion. His presence gives assurity to the batting order. He brings more balance.

India batting coach Sanjay Bangar had admitted ahead of the Bangladesh match that the length of the tail was a factor in middle order’s cautious approach.

“Yes it does (play on the batsman’s mind),” he said when asked about the length of the tail.

“When you don’t have major contributions from the lower order, wherein a Bhuvneshwar Kumar becomes vital. Or anybody who can be handy at No 8, could be Jadeja. It gives a bit of freedom to somebody batting at 6 or 7, they could start going at the bowling a bit earlier rather than leaving it for the last 3-4 overs. From that point of view, it’s a tactic which we’ve been debating as a team combination. There will be a point in the tournament where we will have to reassess the combinations.”

If India decide to bring back Mohammed Shami, which in all probability they will then he might make way for Bhuvneshwar who had an off day against Sri Lanka.

Bringing in Jadeja will give them extra batting cushion and a different dimension of left-arm orthodox rather than two wrist spin options. Yuzvendra Chahal might replace Kuldeep in the starting line-up.

Or if India are looking for a sixth bowling option, they can play three pacers and Karthik can make way for Jadeja. In a big match, a moment of brilliance could become game-changing and Jadeja is capable of providing that with his fielding. Ground dimensions played a big part in the selection of a third pacer at Edgbaston but with India playing at Manchester, the thoughts might change.

“They have to play Jadeja, they have to,” Kevin Pietersen told the host broadcaster in the innings break. “If I was captain of India, Jadeja is playing every game for me.”

With his performance against Sri Lanka, Jadeja has sent another reminder of his worth to the side. And he could be the one to provide the ‘3D’ effect that the selectors and team management were desperately looking for in this World Cup.

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