Good times for Ravindra Jadeja seems to continue for longer. The left-handed spinner has scalped 200 test wicket today in India vs South Africa in Visakhapatnam. Jadeja got this record in just 44 matches going pass the previous best of Rangana Herath from Sri Lanka who took 47 matches.
Jadeja could have got to this record in the first session today, if Wriddhiman Saha would not have dropped Dean Elgar. But, as if it was written in the books already, Ravindra Jadeja claimed Dean Elgar later in the day by an impressive catch by his Saurashtra Teammate- Cheteshwar Pujara.
Now the record for the fastest 200 wickets by a left-handed bowler in test stand as –
1) Ravindra Jadeja– 44 Matches
2) Rangana Herath–47 Matches
3) Mitchell Johnson– 49 Matches
4) Mitchell Starc– 50 Matches
5) Bishan Singh Bedi/ Wasim Akram– 51 Matches
Ravindra Jadeja as a Bowler
The Saurashtra-All Rounder made his test debut in 2012 against England. He made his debut under MS Dhoni. Apart from 200 test wickets, Jadeja also has 178 ODI wickets in 156 games and 33 T20 wickets in 44 games.
When it comes to picking an All-rounder spinner, Ravindra Jadeja has been the first choice of India for a very long time now. Jadeja has been a deep asset for Indian Cricket for long. He contributes in all formats be it Test, ODI or T20 internationals.
Ravindra Jadeja as a Batsman
Ravindra Jadeja as a batsman as contributed in all the formats for India. In Tests he has scored 1590 runs at an average of 33, In ODIs he has 2128 runs at an average of 30. Jadeja is only the third All-Rounder for India who has scored over 2000 runs and also take 150-plus wickets. He can bat in the middle-order as well as he can come down the order and strike at high strike rates.
Ravindra Jadeja as a Fielder
Apart from his performances in the field with the bat and the bowl. The All-Rounder is more than an average fielder, if not the best in the Indian side. As per many statistics, Ravindra Jadeja is by far the best fielder in Indian side for years now. He was in the list of top fielders in the recently concluded Cricket World Cup in England. He is electric on the field and his catching skills are a spectacle.