Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja expressed his satisfaction after India’s emphatic 243-run victory over South Africa in their ICC Cricket World Cup match. He highlighted his contributions with both bat and ball in crucial matches and expressed confidence in his form.
Virat Kohli’s record-equalling 49th ODI century and Ravindra Jadeja’s five-wicket haul stole the limelight as India secured a resounding win over South Africa at Eden Gardens. This triumph marked India’s eighth consecutive victory in the ongoing tournament.
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In a post-match press conference, Jadeja reflected on his recent performances, stating, “No, I do not know honestly if my performances go under the radar, but it is good that I am contributing well in the past 3-4 matches, in batting and bowling. I feel happy that in an important tournament, in important matches I am delivering with the bat and ball. It feels good. Important games are coming up – I am more confident about my individual performance.”
Jadeja’s contributions in the tournament have been noteworthy, with 111 runs in four innings at an average of over 55 and 14 wickets at an average of 17.35, including a five-wicket haul.
Regarding Virat Kohli’s 49th ODI century, Jadeja commended his captain’s remarkable achievement, especially considering the challenging pitch conditions. He noted, “I would say this is special for him as well as tough because the way the wicket was in the afternoon, at one time it felt like 260-270 is also fine. At that time, rotating the strike and taking boundaries I think that must have been very challenging.”
He continued, “Especially I would say that when the team was not getting a run, both their spinners were bowling well, and at such a time to rotate the strike, to take boundaries, and to get a score of above 300 and be not out – that is a very big achievement and a very big effort for him.”
When asked about India’s prospects of becoming an unbeaten champion in the tournament, Jadeja emphasized that the team focuses on taking one match at a time. He stated, “We do not think much about what will happen in a match; we plan match by match. The upcoming knockout stage will be very important. The way the team’s momentum is right now, with batting, bowling, in every department, we are clicking as a team. So, we will continue and try to make it the same in the semifinal and final.”
Jadeja also discussed the pitch conditions during the match, mentioning that the pitch offered more assistance to bowlers when South Africa was bowling. He credited Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer for handling the spinners well.
The Indian team’s overall performance, featuring contributions from fast bowlers, was lauded by Jadeja. He commented, “I think when they were bowling, it was more healthy. I think the turn was more, and the bounce of the wicket was less. But now, if you ask me personally, the wicket in the afternoon and now – now it was a little easier. I won’t say easy, but it was fine. But in the afternoon, there was turn and it was slow, so batsmen could not hit. But credit to Virat and the middle-order batsmen who handled their spinners, it was very good.”
Jadeja also acknowledged the importance of early wickets by the fast bowlers, which set the stage for spinners to capitalize. He highlighted that when batters arrive on slow pitches, they cannot easily play big shots, providing spinners with the opportunity to build confidence through variations.
In the match itself, India opted to bat first and posted a total of 326/5 in their 50 overs. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja contributed valuable runs.
In South Africa’s chase of 327, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Shami delivered a superb bowling performance to bundle out South Africa for just 83 runs. Marco Jansen was the highest scorer for South Africa with 14 runs.
Virat Kohli was named the ‘Player of the Match’ for his exceptional century.
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