CUTTACK: Ravindra Jadeja was at the top of his mark at the Barabati Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Taking guard in front of him was England batter Harry Brook. The Indian spinner, playing only his second ODI since the home World Cup in 2023, was in his zone, a place where he positions himself in the realm of super-humans.
When in flow, Jadeja doesn’t take more than two minutes to get through his over. It starts with the gripping of the ball in the left hand, followed by a short glance around to check the field before walking a few steps to release the ball like he has a thread attached to it. When he has someone who is susceptible against spinners, he repeats it all over again five more times, all in a span about 90 seconds. The 24th over of the England innings on Sunday was one such.
Brook kicked off the over with a front foot defence, playing the ball back to Jadeja. By the time he was done adjusting his gloves, Jadeja would be waiting at the top of his mark, ready to walk in again. Next ball, Jadeja kept it to the stumps. Brook blocked again. Jadeja walked in. Brook worked it to leg side. Blocked. Defended. Pushed to off-side.
Brook hardly had time to think, take stock of the field to try and attack. Jadeja was right in front of him. The 36-year-old was at his best not just on Sunday but throughout the ongoing series against England. If his figures of 3/26 in the first ODI showed what Jadeja can do on a surface that had some help, on Sunday, bowling on a black soil surface that was by and large good to bat on, the veteran was the only bowler to operate at less than four runs per over. He finished with 3/35, accounting for Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Overton.
While the 36-year-old is still the number one left-arm spinner in Test cricket for India, white-ball formats has been a different story. Over the years, despite remaining a crucial part of the set up, Jadeja’s powers, especially with the bat, seemed to be dripping. And it showed in the way the selectors and team management slowly shifting towards Axar Patel, who at this point is the T20I vice-captain and perhaps the first-choice spinner in ODIs.
