"I love Ravindra Jadeja's game among the new cricketers because he plays without pressure" - Kapil Dev
Former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has heaped praise on Ravindra Jadeja for his ability to play without pressure.
The 33-year-old is arguably in the form of his life and has cemented his place in the Indian playing XI across all formats. Recently, he scored an unbeaten 175 - the highest score by an Indian batting at #7 or lower in Tests - in the first Test against Sri Lanka. Jadeja also took nine wickets in that game in Mohali. That helped him become the top all-rounder in the ICC Test rankings.
Ravindra Jadeja third Indian to score 2000+ runs and claim 150+ wkts in ODIs after Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar!
#IndvAus
Jadeja earned a new contract with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Ravindra Jadeja (168*) now has the highest score by an Indian batting at No.7 or lower in Test cricket.
Previous highest was 163 by Kapil Dev against Sri Lanka in 1986.
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Lauding Jadeja for his efficiency with both bat and ball, Dev said during the launch of North India's first fully active joint replacement robot at Sarvodaya Hospital in Faridabad:
“I love Ravindra Jadeja’s game among the new cricketers because he plays without pressure. He enjoys cricket. That’s why he is good at bowling as well as batting. He also does a great job in fielding. I believe that nothing can be done properly under pressure. If you take pressure in the field of cricket, then your performance will be bad."
In the ongoing second Test in Bengaluru, Jadeja scored 4 off 14 deliveries before being caught off Embuldeniya. With the pacers doing most of the damage with the pink ball, the all-rounder has only bowled ten overs across both innings and is yet to pick up a wicket.
"Chepauk is one of the grounds where I never failed" - Kapil Dev
When asked about the venue closest to his heart, Kapil Dev chose Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium. The all-rounder has a stellar record at the venue, with 707 runs, including two centuries and 40 wickets across 11 Tests. He said:
“I can proudly say that Chepauk is one of the grounds where I never failed."
The 131-Test veteran also lauded the initiative of the 'Joint Replacement Robot', which can perform Total Knee Replacement with the full retention of the ligament. He concluded:
“It is absolutely amazing to see such high-end Robotic Medical Technology in the state of Haryana. I am sure it will immensely benefit patients in the entire region who require critical surgeries such as a total knee replacement with optimum outcomes."
Kapil Dev has also lauded the other half of the Indian spin duo, R Ashwin, after the off-spinner overtook him to become India's second most successful Test bowler.