"Yes, he is bits and pieces player. He tears opposition into bits and pieces" - Fans erupt after Ravindra Jadeja's all-round show in IND vs SA clash
Ravindra Jadeja was at the receiving end of praise from fans after his sensational all-round performance in the 2023 World Cup match against South Africa on Sunday (November 5) in Kolkata. India registered a crushing 243-run win against a strong South African team and asserted their dominance in the tournament.
Men in Blue batted first in the contest after winning the toss and reached an above-par total of 326/5 on a tricky surface. Virat Kohli (101*) and Shreyas Iyer (77) led the way with crucial knocks in the middle-order. Ravindra Jadeja (29* in 15 balls) provided the finishing touch with his blazing cameo in the death overs.
Jadeja continued with the same momentum in the second innings, spinning a web around the South African batters with his masterful bowling in helpful conditions.
Rohit brought him into the attack early, in the ninth over. Ravindra Jadeja got into the act quickly by cleaning up South Africa captain Temba Bavuma on the third ball of his first over.
The Saurashtra cricketer then ran through their batting line-up and picked up a 5-wicket haul. South Africa were skittled out for 83 in 27.1 overs and lost the match by a massive margin of 243 runs. Fans lauded Ravindra Jadeja for his magnificent all-round show in the match. Here are some of the top reactions on X, starting with the one from the star cricketer's better half herself.
"He's been really good, a big match-winner for us"- Team India captain Rohit Sharma on Ravindra Jadeja
At the post-match presentation, Team India skipper Rohit Sharma heaped praise on Ravindra Jadeja for his match-winning all-round contribution against South Africa.
"He's been really good, a big match-winner for us, playing in all three formats for many years now. Jadeja keeps doing the job done for us, but goes under the radar. But today was a classic case of what Jadeja is for us with the bat at the back-end, and then, to come out and take those wickets for us. Really important player, and he knows what's required for the team."
On the Indian team's journey in the World Cup, Sharma added:
"If we look how we fared in the last three games, we played quite better, in terms of adapting to the situation. We were put under a little bit of pressure against England. We lost three wickets upfront, and then we got ourselves collected and got a decent score, and then the seamers did the job for us.
"The last game as well, we lost the wicket in the first over, and then we stitched a very good partnership and got to a good score again, and then again, the seamers came to the party."
India will face the Netherlands team next Sunday (November 12) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.