RAVINDRA JADEJA.....AN EXAMPLE HOW TO IMPROVE AS A CRICKETER Probably, the only person who never doubted his ability to forge his cricketing credentials on the highest level, was Ravindra Jadeja himself. From being literally slammed out of international cricket by a ruthless Shane Watson in the 2010 T20 World Cup to becoming a go-to player in what has been a memorable Champions Trophy win for India, Jadeja’s has been a rather turbulent tale. It’s not a career path one would choose if given an option, yet it stands out as an example to follow. If Kohli’s and Yuvraj’s have been the success stories built on their U-19 World Cup triumphs, in Jadeja we saw how a player could be easily ignored from the very same expansive stage. And let’s face it – he wasn’t a specialist that India has always been so keen to pick up from the U-19 pool. In Jaddu, all they were looking at was him as a bit-part player who wouldn’t fit in the dynamics of an international side. Jadeja (R) had a different path to follow than Kohli or Yuvraj after U19 success Yet, Jadeja wasn’t the one to lose hope without going for another shot at the blue jersey. He toiled hard in the IPL and impressed everyone by his intent to combat the most difficult phases of the game. Moreover, in the Ranji circuit, his ability to dart the balls with unerring accuracy for as many as 70 overs in an innings and some defiant display of middle-order batting wouldn’t have ever gone unnoticed. He had his limitations as a cricketer and he understood that before anyone else would have had to point it to him. He may have not been as flamboyant as some of his other U-19 teammates, yet none would have that hunger to improve every day out on the field. However, when the opportunity came knocking on the door with a ticket to the Carribean for the T20 World Cup, one could see that it was still one step too far for Jadeja. Then in 2010, he was standing on a defining crossroad of his career where one big mistake could ruin what was his second chance to break into the international side. And it turned out to be worse than what anyone could’ve expected. He came on to bowl the 4th over against an in-form Watson who smashed him for 3 consecutive sixes off the last 3 balls of the over. He then returned to bowl the 10th, only to be hit for 3 sixes again by Warner off the first three balls. A tour that Jadeja banked on to make an impact was suddenly that one tournament he was to be held responsible for India’s ousting for the rest of his career. Was it one of those rare occasions of stage-fright in the game? Or was it just a bizarre set of events with Jadeja being the unfortunate focal point of them all? We may never be able to decipher that. Yet, if there was one player who could be crucified by a rather lunatic quadrant of our country’s media for the side’s ousting from the tourney, it was poor Ravindra Jadeja Suddenly out of nowhere, we saw a seismic change in our perception whenever we saw Jadeja take guard on the crease or start a new spell. A perception that reflected the supporters belittling his credentials to earn a place in the team and criticizing everything he does. All in all, he became that one unfortunate player who unsettled a fan during the game. From Jadeja to ‘Sir’ Ravindra Jadeja It is rather inexplicable, this relation between the fans and the player. Yet, on the hindsight, insulting or brutally lamenting a player for the efforts they put on the field is something every Indian cricketer should eventually be accustomed with. For the person he grew up to be from a rather humble background in Gujarat, what Ravindra Jadeja possessed was a virtue of self belief – one that was ingrained so well in him that critics did nothing to subdue his resurgence. Now, with enough international experience to his name, Jadeja was back on the domestic circuit to keep up the belief of his return to the international side again. He may have always been well-versed with the technical know-how of the game, yet was left clueless when the odds refused to favour him on the pitch. Though, in the 2012/13 Ranji season, Jadeja was a completely different player. There was a sense of discipline in his bowling and a rejuvenated edge when he was out to get some runs for his side. Anyone who would have followed his career was bewildered with his newfound ability to assess and adapt with the situations instantaneously – an attribute that one mostly associates with a cricketer that has finally come of his age. Jadeja’s performance in statistics over the years: “I never used to make my game plans in the past. Whatever I used to think I could not translate my plans into the match. I used to think I would do this against this batsman or play in a particular fashion against this bowler. I used to make those strategies. But now I have stopped doing that. Now I do not think too much, what will happen and what will not. I just try and focus on the kind of pitch, the conditions and the match situation.” – Ravindra jadeja, on his change of approach towards the game. It was a season where he racked up some impressive scores with the bat, including two massive triple- hundreds; in no time he was back in contention for the national side. It was only a matter of time when an opportunity would sway towards him and this time he was more assured than ever to make it count.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 10:17:08 +0000