3 times Ravindra Jadeja dropped a crucial catch
Team India and New Zealand kickstarted one of the most anticipated games of the 2023 World Cup at the picturesque Dharamsala on October 22. Both teams came into the game after winning their opening four matches convincingly.
Winning the toss and bowling first, the Men in Blue struck twice in the first nine overs and looked to be on their way to another dominant bowling performance.
However, Indian fans had to endure one of the rarest sights when ace fielder Ravindra Jadeja dropped a simple chance of New Zealand's batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra on 12. The drop proved costly as the left-hander scored a crucial 75 off 87 deliveries to help New Zealand gain the upper hand.
Renowned to be arguably the best fielder in the world, Jadeja has proven to have some of the safest hands to go with his incredible athleticism. His relentless efficiency and swift movements in throwing down the stumps make him a fan favorite for his acrobatic efforts on the field.
However, amidst the 130+ catches in international cricket and several brilliant pieces of fielding in the IPL, the 34-year-old has proven to be mortal on the field on rare occasions during his illustrious career.
While it remains to be seen if his drop of Ravindra costs India the game, let us revisit three instances when Jadeja dropped a crucial catch.
#1 The dropped catch of Alastair Cook that turned the 2014 Test series around
One of Ravindra Jadeja's worst moments on the field has to be his infamous dropped catch at third slip off Alastair Cook in the third Test of the 2014 tour of England.
Team India were coming off one of their most memorable overseas wins, defeating the hosts on a seamers' paradise in the second Test at Lord's. However, an under-pressure Cook was dropped on 15 in the 11th over off debutant Pankaj Singh on Day 1.
The drop was extremely costly as the England skipper scored a crucial 95 to demoralize the Indians and lay the platform for their mammoth total of 569/7 in the first innings. MS Dhoni's side never recovered from the onslaught and surrendered meekly to lose by 266 runs and hand the series initiative back to England.
India also suffered innings defeats in the following two games to lose the series 1-3 and continue their overseas woes in Tests.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja's double-blip against KKR in 2018
The 2018 IPL remains the most cherished for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans as the franchise, after a two-year hiatus, returned in style by winning a third title. However, the fairytale run wasn't without its share of hiccups, and one such instance was their second meeting against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens.
Coming off a thrilling win against the Delhi Capitals that made it six out of eight, a CSK side full of confidence posted a healthy 177/5 against KKR. In reply, the Knight Riders suffered a crucial setback, losing destructive opener Chris Lynn in the first over.
But the second over witnessed stunning scenes as Ravindra Jadeja did the unthinkable by dropping two catches off Sunil Narine's bat off successive deliveries. The unfortunate bowler was KM Asif, who created two simple chances off the penultimate and final deliveries respectively of his first over.
Both catches were straightforward ones put down at mid-off as the West Indian made the Super Kings pay with an enterprising 32 off 20 balls to set up the run chase. Eventually, the impetus by Narine was the difference-maker as KKR achieved the target in only 17.4 overs with six wickets in hand.
#3 Jadeja drops a sitter in the outfield against the Mumbai Indians in 2022
CSK underwent one of their worst seasons in 2022, with Ravindra Jadeja being made the skipper for the campaign. However, things headed south immediately as the proud franchise lost their first four games and five out of their first six before facing off against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI).
The burden of captaincy weighed heavily on the 34-year-old as he endured a dismal season both individually and collectively. The game against MI was another example of Jadeja's lackluster showing, with the usually reliable fielder putting down two simple chances.
The first one came in the second over of the MI innings when he dropped Dewald Brevis at mid-off in a misjudgment. While Brevis was dismissed immediately without further addition to his score, Jadeja's second drop looked to be costly at that moment.
All-rounder Hrithik Shokeen skied a delivery from Mitchell Santner, only for Jadeja to drop a straightforward catch at extra cover. Shokeen added 11 off his next seven deliveries before being dismissed, helping MI reach a competitive 155/7 in 20 overs.
Fortunately for CSK, an MS Dhoni special helped them seal a last-ball victory. They eventually finished a spot above MI on the points table, avoiding a bottom-placed season.