"When you have a rank turner in front of you, there is a different type of pressure" - Sanjay Manjrekar lauds Ravindra Jadeja's performances

Sanjay Manjrekar has lauded Ravindra Jadeja for making a brilliant return to Test cricket after a long injury layoff.

Jadeja was chosen as the joint Player of the Series alongside Ravichandran Ashwin in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The spin-bowling all-rounder made an emphatic return to international cricket after being out of action for a few months due to a knee injury sustained during the Asia Cup last year.

During a post-series discussion on Star Sports, Manjrekar was asked about his thoughts on Ravindra Jadeja's performances after a five-month-long injury layoff, to which he responded:

"It's good you reminded everyone about that because you forget such things when you reach the fourth Test match. He picked up 10 wickets and became the Player of the Match, but imagine that he had not played any international cricket before that."

The former Indian batter added:

"I heard that he had bowled a lot for sure but the Test match pressure is different, and when you have a rank turner in front of you, there is a different type of pressure. Then it is expected that you will go there and pick up wickets."

Nagpur ✅
Delhi ✅

Ravindra Jadeja is the Player of the Match once again! 👏

#INDvAUS #RavindraJadeja https://t.co/62zaOUs2Jm

Jadeja played a crucial 70-run knock and picked up seven wickets in the first Test in Nagpur. He followed that up with a 10-wicket match haul in the second Test in Delhi.

"His bowling is perfectly suited for such pitches" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja picked up 22 wickets in the series. [P/C: BCCI]

While observing that Ravindra Jadeja is at his lethal best as a bowler on turning tracks, Sanjay Manjrekar praised him for playing a vital knock in Nagpur, saying:

"His bowling is perfectly suited for such pitches and he showed that by doing it. In the first Test, the way he scored runs as well. Before Axar Patel's knock, there was an important knock from Jadeja."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that India were in a slight spot of bother in that game when Rohit Sharma was dismissed, observing:

"Rohit Sharma had gotten out, then also India were in a troublesome situation. So brilliant bowling on his comeback and his batting was also very crucial for India in that Test match."

When you’ve to split the Player of the Series prize money. 😂 https://t.co/tz4PctT0aR

India had a first-innings lead of just 52 runs when Rohit was the sixth batter dismissed, with Srikar Bharat following him to the pavilion soon thereafter.

Jadeja then strung together an 88-run eighth-wicket partnership with Axar Patel (84), which helped the hosts take a massive 223-run lead. They eventually won the game by an innings and 132 runs.