Ravindra Jadeja had a nightmare game at Eden Gardens on Thursday. He made 12 runs off 12 balls, batting at the death. He gave 39 runs and picked up one wicket in his four overs. But, more crucially, he dropped two catches off consecutive balls off KM Asif with eventual player of the match, Sunil Narine, being the beneficiary both times.
It was a night to forget on all accounts for Jadeja.
Fast forward to Saturday at the MCA Stadium in Pune, Jadeja turned things around in some style. He finished with bowling figures of 3/18 from his four overs and justified his captain’s faith in him.
The moment that got everyone talking came off the very first ball Jadeja bowled on the day. Coming in to bowl the seventh over, Jadeja rolled his arm over, got the ball to land on a good length, and skid with the angle. The result? Virat Kohli, clean bowled. The reaction? Nothing from Jadeja. One of shock from Kohli.
The dismissal and the eventual non-celebration prompted even the commentators to chip in with a few sarcastic jibes about how Jadeja realised that he has dismissed his national team captain. ‘Outside he is not celebrating, inside he must be running around like Imran Tahir,’ was one of the quips.
“It was my first ball, I was not ready for a celebration!’ That was Jadeja’s explanation for his reaction, or lack thereof, after getting Kohli’s wicket.
As it turned out, Jadeja didn’t celebrate for any of the wickets but that didn’t stop Twitter from rolling the jokes out.
There was, of course, praise for Jadeja’s bowling effort as well.
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