Jadeja in a league of his own, picks seven-wicket haul on 3rd day

CHENNAI: On a day when the left-arm spinners dictated the terms in favourable conditions, Saurashtra stand-in skipper Ravindra Jadeja was in a league of his own.

The four left-arm slow bowlers – two each from Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu – who were in action accounted for 15 of the 18 wickets that fell on the third and penultimate day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B battle at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here.

Among the tweakers, Ravindra Jadeja, on a comeback trail, shone the brightest on Thursday, returning remarkable figures of 7/53 in 17.1 overs in Tamil Nadu’s second innings that ended at 133.

Ravindra Jadeja’s captain’s performance was a shot in the arm for the visitor, which had conceded a 132-run lead to the host after folding for 192 in its first innings.

Chasing 266 for victory on a challenging Chepauk surface where many deliveries are keeping low, Saurashtra was dealt an early blow as opener Jay Gohil’s (0) stumps were disturbed by left-arm orthodox bowler Manimaran Siddharth (1/3). When the curtains came down, the touring team was at four for one, with wicketkeeper-batter Harvik Desai (3 batting) and nightwatchman Chetan Sakariya (1 batting) unbeaten in the middle.

With the pitch aiding the slow bowlers, stroke-making proved difficult. In Saurashtra’s first innings, Tamil Nadu left-arm spinners S Ajith Ram (3/39) and Siddharth (3/44), who had a wicket each going into the third day, exploited the conditions, so did off-spinners Pradosh Ranjan Paul (1/3) and Baba Aparajith (1/39).

For Saurashtra, which went from 101 for three to 192 all-out, No.3 Chirag Jani (49 off 151 balls, 5 fours) stood out but missed out on a half-century by a whisker. Ravindra Jadeja (15) took on the opposition attack from the get go, hitting three boundaries on the on-side, before his stay was cut short by Aparajith.

Although the visiting side was behind the eight ball at the end of the opening exchanges, it came out all guns blazing in the third essay of the match. ‘Jadeja’ was the most used word in the Tamil Nadu second innings scorecard as left-arm spin twins Ravindra Jadeja and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3/64) wreaked havoc to bundle the host out for a paltry 133.

Saurashtra’s ploy to use only the three spin bowlers worked wonders, with the Tamil Nadu batters unable to apply themselves on a testing pitch. The stumps had to be rearranged as many as six times during the innings, which lasted only 36.1 overs.

While Ravindra Jadeja’s second spell figures of 6/36 in 12.1 overs made for great reading, the scores of the home team’s batters were far from impressive. After enthralling the sparse crowd who made it to the venue on Republic Day, the 34-year-old India all-rounder enjoyed a rousing reception from both the Saurashtra dugout and the stands.

Opener B Sai Sudharsan (37 off 72 balls, 3 fours) and Baba Indrajith (28) stitched a 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket and were the only Tamil Nadu batters to cross the 20-run mark in the team’s second innings.

BRIEF SCORES: Tamil Nadu 324 & 133 in 36.1 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 37, Ravindra Jadeja 7/53, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 3/64) vs Saurashtra 192 in 79.4 overs (Chirag Jani 49, S Ajith Ram 3/39, Manimaran Siddharth 3/44) & 4/1 in 4 overs

‘I am good to go for Australia Test series’

After ‘roaring’ at his ‘den’ for Saurashtra against Tamil Nadu with a scintillating bowling performance in the ongoing Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match here, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Thursday said that he is prepared to return to international cricket.

“Yes, yes (when asked if he is ready for the start of the Australia Test series at home, for which he has been picked subject to fitness),” Ravindra Jadeja told reporters.

“Playing a game after a long time (referring to the Ranji match), I am feeling very good. I am good to go now. It was tough on the first day. As the game progressed, I was spinning [the ball] well,” added Ravindra Jadeja. “I am almost there. It is just a matter of getting confidence. Luckily, I bowled enough overs in the match (41.1 overs). When you get seven wickets [in an innings], you obviously feel confident. Taking a fifer in a first-class game is always good.”