When 'bits and pieces' translate to genius

Kolkata: How often do you see a cricketer score a 15-ball 29 cameo that shores up a team’s total from being competitive to a formidable one, return to take a five-wicket haul, remain a livewire on the field and still go largely unnoticed? If your answer is ‘never’, then you don’t have to cast your mind beyond Sunday’s game between India and Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens here.

Ravindra Jadeja did all the above but his otherwise player-of-the-match (PoM) worthy performance remained under the giant shadow of Virat Kohli's record-equalling 49th ODI century. The hundred was the talk of the town before it was achieved and continued to be so after Kohli accomplished the feat in the first half of the game. 

In a tournament, where Hardik Pandya was expected to reprise the role of Yuvraj Singh enacted during the 2011 World Cup, Jadeja has assumed that mantle. While he didn't get to bat in the first four matches with the top-order doing all the running, he was impressive with the ball. His three wickets against Australia, including the dismissal of a well-set Steve Smith on a tricky pitch, was worthy of the PoM award but went to KL Rahul for his match-defining unbeaten 97.

Against Bangladesh, he had pulled India back into the game by scalping a dangerous-looking opener Liton Das and one-drop Najmul Hossain Shanto after an opening-wicket stand of 91. This, too, deserved the PoM honour but a century by Kohli stole all the limelight. In between, he had a two-wicket haul against Pakistan as well.

Not unlike the rest of the Indian attack, Jadeja has bowled first, bowled second, bowled with the new ball, old ball and wet ball. Rarely has he failed to deliver. He has been both miserly with the economy and given crucial breakthroughs. He has done well in all parameters. 

"Yeah, it's been exceptional," Dravid had said while hailing Jadeja's performance only the previous day. "(But) because of how good our seamers have been and how fantastic it has been to watch them up front, the performances of people like Jaddu and Kuldeep (Yadav) have probably gone slightly unnoticed. But I think his ability, and sometimes even having to bowl with a slightly wetter ball, because the ball has been slightly wet."

"Just the kind of control that he's given us through the middle, the way the control he's given Rohit has been sensational. And just the areas he's bowled as well, I think every metric point tells us that he's up there with anyone in this tournament in terms of just the areas he's been able to hit, the speeds he's been able to bowl at. And there's a lot of good conversations around the group in our bowlers' meetings with him. And just to see him just in that kind of relaxed space and very clear about what he wants to do and what he wants to achieve. And just having that confidence to do that consistently over and over again has been fantastic," Dravid elaborated. 

Since the Dharamsala game against New Zealand, the all-rounder, barring the England game, has also ensured India haven't missed a batter at No. 8 with innings of 39 n.o., 8, 35 and 29 n.o. The first of those four knocks was perhaps the most crucial when the Indian batting line-up was put under some serious test in the absence of the injured Hardik. The left-hander joined Kohli in the middle with India struggling at 191/5, still needing 83 runs for victory but shared a 78-run stand before the latter was dismissed with just the formalities left. He was at it again with both and ball against Sri Lanka before producing his best show of the tournament yet.

"And then with the bat, again," Dravid continued. "Not easy for someone like him because he bats at No. 7, doesn't play for three or four games, and then has to come in and play quite an important innings every time. So that's the tough thing for guys who bat at 6 and 7. When you're batting in the top three, you know that every single game you're going to get an opportunity to play."

"Sometimes at six and seven, you're not really sure when you're going to get a chance. Or even sometimes you won't even get a game. Or you won't even get a hit like they haven't for the first two or three games, the way we batted. He's just come in and played critical knocks. Even the last one (against Sri Lanka), he was able to really give us that little bit of a fillip, a nice little 30 there. Got a 40 (39 vs NZ) two games before that, I think." 

Not talking about Jadeja's fielding means not completing the story. Perhaps the best all-round fielder in the side, just his presence seems to uplift the team. A brilliant run-out here, an exceptional catch there and a crucial save inject great energy into the side. 

"I always try to give an impactful performance in batting or bowling," said Jadeja after Sunday's match. "When the team needs me, in any department. And I never take fielding for granted. I also feel that I can miss a catch. So, I am always more prepared, and if I get a catch, I don't relax on the field. So, I just keep trying. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't."