Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer has showered praise on Ravindra Jadeja for his all-round performance after Rajasthan Royals registered a 40-run win at Lucknow on Wednesday. Jaffer hailed Jadeja for getting the crucial wicket of Nicholas Pooran, who was dismissed after scoring 22 runs off 25 balls.
Furthermore, Jadeja scored a crucial knock of 43 runs off 29 balls to help his team post 159 runs on the board. RR were reeling at 77-5 but Jadeja added a crucial alliance with Donovan Ferreira and then Shubman Dubey.
Jadeja added a run-a-ball 33 with Ferreira and then put on 49 runs off 25 balls with Dubey. Moreover, Jadeja returned with impressive figures of 1-29 in his quota of four overs, and thus he was awarded Player of the Match.
Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube Channel, “He (Ravindra Jadeja) is a very reliable player. His longevity shows that he has played all three formats. He is effective with the bat, contributes with the ball, and as we all know, he is an outstanding fielder. He does not usually bowl his full quota of four overs, but today he had to. Another good thing was that it was a big ground, so he could bowl more freely. He took the most important wicket of Nicholas Pooran, who was looking dangerous.”
Jaffer said Jadeja made the most of his experience and delivered the goods for RR when they were under the cosh.
He said, “What more can you say about Ravindra Jadeja? He has played so much cricket and has so much experience. Even today, he played a very good hand with the bat, helping his team reach 160 and then compete in the match. A brilliant, brilliant cricketer. When you have an all-rounder like him, it always helps. On bigger grounds or when the pitch offers some assistance, Jadeja comes in and delivers tight overs quickly. And as a fielder, you can place him in any hotspot knowing that the batter will not get much from that area. Truly a brilliant cricketer.”
On the other hand, the former flamboyant batter, Jaffer, praised RR’s move to introduce Shubman Dubey as an Impact Player. The left-hander scored 19 runs off 11 balls to add the finishing touches.
He concluded, “Rajasthan Royals have that kind of bowling, especially with the new ball. They have that power with Archer and Nandre Burger. Today, they did not go with Tushar Deshpande or their usual impact options. Instead of playing an extra fast bowler, they used Shubham Dubey, which I felt was a decent move. Because of that, a partnership developed, and with Shubham Dubey’s contribution, they managed to reach 160.”
Rajasthan Royals will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday.
