Jadeja has shades of Kumble, says Chesteshwar Pujara

Ravindra Jadeja has surprised us all even India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni but Cheteshwar Pujara knew that India had a good thing coming when the Saurashtra allrounder was picked during the Test series against India. If his performances against Australia in the Test series were stunning, then his wicket-taking spree in the Champions Trophy has been nothing less. In three matches, he has taken 9 wickets – the second highest in the tournament – at a superb economy rate of 3.59. Pujara told the Times of India that Jadeja’s recent effort with the ball reminds him of Anil Kumble. “He has shades of Anil bhai. Just like Kumble, Jadeja too doesn’t turn the ball much but if you are facing him, you have to be ready for some tough times,” Pujara told Times of India. “He maintains line and length and as a batsman you need to be very careful. There’s a similarity between him and Monty Panesar. You need to have patience and wait for the opportunity. That’s the biggest test a batsman faces while facing Ravindra.” [caption id=“attachment_876661” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Jadeja has been exceptional for India. AP[/caption] Jadeja’s return shows just how determined he was to get back in the mix after being dropped early on. He wasn’t ready then but now he is playing to his strengths and that is working well for the 24-year old. “There were rough patches but he has proved his class. He was always a good fielder, but over the years he has focused a lot on his batting as well,” Pujara added. “He was always determined to bounce back.” Jadeja’s way back into the India side was paved by his batting. His first-class record since 2010-11 speaks volumes about the kind of hard work, he has put in. In 2010-11, he averaged 65.33. In 2011-12, he averaged 86.60 and this season, he has averaged 74.25 (891 runs). His bowling renaissance has been recent too. In 2010-11, he got 21 wickets at 33.09. In 2011-12, he got 18 wickets at 19.66 and this season, he has 51 wickets at 20.35. “The domestic tournaments have helped him. It’s not easy to score triple centuries, but he has done that too,” Pujara told Times of India, adding: “He is a mature cricketer now.” And as a passing shot, Pujara couldn’t help but mention how ‘knighthood’ has done wonders for Jadeja. “Initially we would make fun of ‘Sir’, but I guess he took it positively and look at his performance today. ‘Sir’ has proved his mettle,” Pujara said. Indeed, in a sense, the joke’s on us.