<p>A decade ago, December 2012 to be precise, Ravindra Jadeja etched his name in the annals of Indian domestic cricket history when he slammed 331 against Railways in a Ranji Trophy encounter. The Saurashtrian became the first Indian and eighth overall to score three first-class triple centuries. Not a bad feat for a left-arm spinning all-rounder!</p>.<p>Since then, the merit of that deed has been debated a lot in Indian cricket circles. Some have questioned the pitches — the triple tons were scored in Cuttack, Surat and Rajkot — while some have questioned the quality of the opposition attacks which were Orissa, Gujarat and Railways. Some have even compared Jadeja’s batting statistics in international cricket to underplay those triples, pointing to his average performance in the opening half of his career.</p>.<p>Jadeja hasn’t been able to replicate his Saurashtra batting heroics with the Indian team due to a variety of factors. One, he bats so low down the order that he often runs out of time and partners to find his groove and then build on a big innings. If he does get the luxury of time and partners, he has thrown his wicket away in a rush of blood.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/indian-cricket-team-eyes-smooth-transition-1087704.html" target="_blank">Indian cricket team eyes smooth transition</a></strong></p>.<p>Jadeja though has been brandishing his bat with remarkable consistency over the last few years. He scored his maiden Test century against the West Indies in Rajkot in October 2018 and since then has hit eight half-centuries, some of them game-changing knocks which have resulted in some billing him as India’s ‘Most Valuable Player’.</p>.<p>Saturday at the PCA Stadium, Jadeja took his new-found confidence in his batting to a whole different level. Exhibiting complete authority, the 33-year-old hit a record-breaking unbeaten 175 (228b, 327m, 17x4, 3x6) to flatten a hapless Sri Lanka on the second day of the opening Test. India, riding on Jadeja’s special innings, declared their innings at 574/8 before reducing the Sri Lankans to 108/4 in 43 overs at stumps.</p>.<p>After being a bystander largely to Rishabh Pant’s fireworks on Friday, Jadeja thrust himself into the spotlight on Saturday and shone much brighter than the wicketkeeper to walk away with plenty of adulation from his team-mates and fans gathered.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/i-felt-like-i-was-making-my-debut-kohli-1088022.html" target="_blank">I felt like I was making my debut: Kohli</a></strong></p>.<p>Sensing that his partnership with fellow spinner R Ashwin, owner of five Test centuries, was crucial to setting Sri Lanka a strong total, he batted with great discipline and character. He nicely blended caution with aggression as India progressed as per plans. He took his chances, punished the bad ones and showed his fine defensive skills against the good ones.</p>.<p>The cuts, the pulls, the drives, the gamble against spinners by taking the aerial root…Jadeja was in full flow. The confidence with which he was batting even rubbed off on R Ashwin (61, 82b, 8x4) and Mohammed Shami (20 n.o., 34b, 3x4) as Sri Lankans simply went through the motions on another unforgiving day. A bowler short after pacer Lahiru Kumara hobbled off with an injured hamstring on Friday after sending down 10.5 overs, Lankans struggled to contain the damage.</p>.<p>Unlike Friday when India suffered some minor hiccups, Jadeja didn’t offer that luxury to Sri Lanka. He kept going great guns, stepping on the pedal with every fifty, to tighten India’s grip on the encounter. Jadeja looked on course for a double century but 25 runs adrift, skipper Rohit Jadeja decided to put the Sri Lankan bowlers out of their misery.</p>.<p>Nicknamed the ‘Rockstar’ by spin wizard Shane Warne who passed away on Friday, Jadeja ended up paying the perfect tribute to ‘Hollywood’ with a stellar knock.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>A decade ago, December 2012 to be precise, Ravindra Jadeja etched his name in the annals of Indian domestic cricket history when he slammed 331 against Railways in a Ranji Trophy encounter. The Saurashtrian became the first Indian and eighth overall to score three first-class triple centuries. Not a bad feat for a left-arm spinning all-rounder!</p>.<p>Since then, the merit of that deed has been debated a lot in Indian cricket circles. Some have questioned the pitches — the triple tons were scored in Cuttack, Surat and Rajkot — while some have questioned the quality of the opposition attacks which were Orissa, Gujarat and Railways. Some have even compared Jadeja’s batting statistics in international cricket to underplay those triples, pointing to his average performance in the opening half of his career.</p>.<p>Jadeja hasn’t been able to replicate his Saurashtra batting heroics with the Indian team due to a variety of factors. One, he bats so low down the order that he often runs out of time and partners to find his groove and then build on a big innings. If he does get the luxury of time and partners, he has thrown his wicket away in a rush of blood.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/indian-cricket-team-eyes-smooth-transition-1087704.html" target="_blank">Indian cricket team eyes smooth transition</a></strong></p>.<p>Jadeja though has been brandishing his bat with remarkable consistency over the last few years. He scored his maiden Test century against the West Indies in Rajkot in October 2018 and since then has hit eight half-centuries, some of them game-changing knocks which have resulted in some billing him as India’s ‘Most Valuable Player’.</p>.<p>Saturday at the PCA Stadium, Jadeja took his new-found confidence in his batting to a whole different level. Exhibiting complete authority, the 33-year-old hit a record-breaking unbeaten 175 (228b, 327m, 17x4, 3x6) to flatten a hapless Sri Lanka on the second day of the opening Test. India, riding on Jadeja’s special innings, declared their innings at 574/8 before reducing the Sri Lankans to 108/4 in 43 overs at stumps.</p>.<p>After being a bystander largely to Rishabh Pant’s fireworks on Friday, Jadeja thrust himself into the spotlight on Saturday and shone much brighter than the wicketkeeper to walk away with plenty of adulation from his team-mates and fans gathered.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/i-felt-like-i-was-making-my-debut-kohli-1088022.html" target="_blank">I felt like I was making my debut: Kohli</a></strong></p>.<p>Sensing that his partnership with fellow spinner R Ashwin, owner of five Test centuries, was crucial to setting Sri Lanka a strong total, he batted with great discipline and character. He nicely blended caution with aggression as India progressed as per plans. He took his chances, punished the bad ones and showed his fine defensive skills against the good ones.</p>.<p>The cuts, the pulls, the drives, the gamble against spinners by taking the aerial root…Jadeja was in full flow. The confidence with which he was batting even rubbed off on R Ashwin (61, 82b, 8x4) and Mohammed Shami (20 n.o., 34b, 3x4) as Sri Lankans simply went through the motions on another unforgiving day. A bowler short after pacer Lahiru Kumara hobbled off with an injured hamstring on Friday after sending down 10.5 overs, Lankans struggled to contain the damage.</p>.<p>Unlike Friday when India suffered some minor hiccups, Jadeja didn’t offer that luxury to Sri Lanka. He kept going great guns, stepping on the pedal with every fifty, to tighten India’s grip on the encounter. Jadeja looked on course for a double century but 25 runs adrift, skipper Rohit Jadeja decided to put the Sri Lankan bowlers out of their misery.</p>.<p>Nicknamed the ‘Rockstar’ by spin wizard Shane Warne who passed away on Friday, Jadeja ended up paying the perfect tribute to ‘Hollywood’ with a stellar knock.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
