3 batters who could become Ravindra Jadeja's bunny in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023
Ravindra Jadeja will make his much-awaited return to the cricket field in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. He played his last international match for India in the Asia Cup last year.
On an off day during the Asia Cup, Jadeja reportedly injured himself during an adventure activity at the seaside in Dubai and remained out of action for the remainder of 2022 as well as January 2023. He made his return for Saurashtra in a Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu a few days ago. The all-rounder looked in fine touch as he picked up a five-wicket haul in the second innings.
BCCI have picked him in the squad for the first two Test matches against Australia. Ravindra Jadeja was one of the architects of India's previous two home Test series victories against Australia. He has troubled the Australian batters a lot in the past, and here's a list of the three Aussies whom he could make his bunny in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
#1 Ravindra Jadeja has dismissed Steven Smith 4 times
A bunny in cricket means a batter who frequently loses his wicket to a particular bowler. Ravindra Jadeja has dismissed Australian star Steven Smith four times during their previous meetings in Test cricket.
Jadeja bowled against Smith for the first time in the 2013 Border Gavaskar Trophy series. He bowled 119 balls to him, conceding 29 runs and scalping his wicket once. Four years later, when Australia visited India again, Smith was in the form of his life, but Jadeja managed to dismiss him thrice in the first three matches of the four-Test series.
During their previous meeting in Australia in 2020/21, Jadeja bowled 60 balls to Smith, giving 30 runs without taking his wicket even once. The left-arm spinner will be keen to maintain his great record against Smith on Indian soil in the upcoming Tests.
#2 David Warner
Left-handed batters generally find it easy to tackle the left-arm spinners because the ball comes into the left-handers, but Ravindra Jadeja has accounted for David Warner's wicket four times in just 89 balls.
Warner was dismissed by Jadeja twice in the 2013 series and twice in the 2017 series. Notably, Warner has a much better record in white-ball matches against Jadeja. It will be interesting to see if he can improve his red-ball record in 2023.
#3 Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus Labuschagne is the world's top-ranked Test batter with 929 rating points to his name. However, he has never played a Test match in India before. If India prepare spin-friendly pitches for the upcoming matches, Labuschagne may have a tough time against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
Back in 2013, when Australia suffered a 0-4 defeat against India, Jadeja gave sleepless nights to the then-Australian skipper Michael Clarke by making him his bunny in the series. Jadeja dismissed Clarke five times in six innings. While Clarke has retired now, Jadeja could make Labuschagne his new bunny in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
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