Cricketers of the week - 26th March - 1st April
This week we witnessed India wrest back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and that too in style, in an acrimonious series that broke friendships, according to Kohli.
Sri Lanka won one back against Bangladesh, while New Zealand lost a series to South Africa thanks to their rain gods, but their skipper continues to be their Rock of Gibraltar. Pakistan made short work of the T20 world champions, West Indies, in their favourite cricket format.
That is a lot of cricket indeed and so there is no dearth of players who have turned in amazing performances. Kulasekara who turned in a fine, match-winning performance against visitors, Bangladesh, misses out. Umesh Yadav, despite breathing fire in the final Test of the season misses out too, as we pick two of his teammates, who we thought played a more critical hand.
Here are the top 6 of the week.
#1 Ravindra Jadeja (India)
In the final Test between India and Australia, at Dharamsala, Jadeja justified his highest category BCCI contract with a performance that fetched him the Player of the Series. After picking up the crucial wicket of Matthew Wade, in the first innings, it was Jadeja whose innings made all the difference between the two teams.
India were tottering at 221 for 6 when Jadeja arrived. He added a valuable 96 for the seventh wicket, scoring an exciting, counter-attacking 63 off 95 balls with four sixes and four fours, eventually helping India secure a vital 32-run lead.
In the second innings, Jadeja registered figures of 3-24 in 18 overs, with an unbelievable economy rate. His all-round performance apart, Jadeja became only the third cricketer to register the 500 runs – 50 wickets double in a season.