"The first 2 wickets he got were unplayable deliveries" - Saba Karim lauds Ravindra Jadeja's spell in IND vs NZ 3rd Test
Saba Karim has lauded Ravindra Jadeja's spell on Day 1 of the third Test between India and New Zealand in Mumbai. He noted that the left-arm spinner took his first two wickets with virtually unplayable deliveries.
Jadeja registered figures of 5/65 in 22 overs as India bowled New Zealand out for 235 in their first innings on Friday, November 1. The hosts ended the day at 86/4, trailing the visitors by 149 runs.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Saba Karim highlighted the importance of Jadeja being among the wickets. He praised the spin-bowling all-rounder for picking up his first two wickets with deliveries any batter would have found difficult to negotiate.
"It was extremely necessary for Ravindra Jadeja to pick up wickets in the first innings. The fantastic track record India created in home series, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had a massive contribution behind that. In the last Test match, we saw that both of them didn't have such a big contribution initially and that is why there was a lot of pressure on the Indian bowlers," he said.
"So this was a very important spell for Jadeja. Once he gets his rhythm on such wickets, he creates a lot of difficulties for the batters, which he did today. I felt the first two wickets he got were unplayable deliveries," the former India wicketkeeper-batter added.
Saba Karim observed that neither Will Young nor Tom Blundell could have done much to survive those deliveries.
"Will Young, set batter, if the ball is turning from there if you are playing for the line, the batter can't do anything in the end. Second wicket also, Tom Blundell, when a batter is coming first up to bat, if you are getting turn with that speed, the batter can't do much. So both of them were special deliveries," he observed.
Young (71 off 138) was caught by Rohit Sharma at slip off a sharply turning delivery. Blundell was bowled three deliveries later for a duck.
"He is relentless" - Aakash Chopra on Ravindra Jadeja
![Ravindra Jadeja is known for his accuracy. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/0b73c-17304785194081-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Aakash Chopra appreciated Ravindra Jadeja for his immaculate line and length.
"He is relentless. We say that if you play for long, the bowler gets tired and then he makes mistakes. However, Ravindra Jadeja started from the 23rd over and kept bowling till the end and you can count his bad balls on your fingers. There wasn't even a single bad ball in terms of length," he said.
The former India opener added that a five-wicket haul on the first day of a Test match would have given the spinner a lot of satisfaction.
"He might have drifted a little more on the legs in terms of line but the consistency with that accuracy makes him this bowler, or else you don't take close to 325 Test wickets. When you pick up first-day wickets as a spinner, they give you a lot of satisfaction," Chopra stated.
Apart from Will Young and Tom Blundell, Jadeja dismissed Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry. With 314 scalps at an average of 23.96 in 77 Tests, the Saurashtra spinner went past Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who accounted for 311 dismissals apiece, to become India's fifth-highest wicket-taker in the longest format.