In the final Test of the 2018 series against England at the Oval there came a significant moment from Ravindra Jadeja the batsman. As Jadeja reached his fifty, his celebration involved blowing the dust off his bat, as if to indicate that ‘he can handle the bat’. Since that moment, whether in Test cricket or in coloured clothing, Jadeja’s batting has reached the next level. The most pleasing aspect has been his power-hitting.
At the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, Jadeja provided another example of what makes him such a brutal hitter of a cricket ball. The left-hander bludgeoned 62 from 28 balls, including 36 (37 with a no ball) from the last over of the RCB innings. It was an exhibition of power-hitting that has been instilled in Jadeja’s game in the last couple of years.
There used to be instances when Jadeja would struggle to clear the boundaries, especially against the fast bowlers. A prime example is the 2009 ICC World T20 game against England when Dhoni promoted him to No 4 in a chase of 158, but Jadeja struggled as he conjured up a 35-ball 25 — an innings that ended up costing India dearly. Even a few years back, the opposition will try bouncers or back of the length deliveries to limit his impact.
Jadeja had to find a solution. Especially given he was always going to bat at the crucial No 6 or No 7 spot. First, he needed confidence and that innings in England changed his perception of batting. Ever since that moment, his strike-rate improved immensely. From 2015 — 2018, Jadeja had only hit 14 sixes in the IPL. On average that was a six every 30 balls he faced. From 2019 to now, Jadeja has already walloped 21 sixes. He now averages a maximum every 13 balls. It has been a dramatic turnaround.
So what has changed technically? First thing, you observe immediately is that he goes deep into the crease. It is a method most modern-day batters used to conquer the yorker that pitches right at their toes. On Sunday, Harshal Patel missed his mark a couple of times and led to Jadeja getting a couple right in his slot, which he deposited over mid-wicket. But it is the manner in which Jadeja is hitting the short or the back of the length balls that has allowed him to take his game up a notch.
No longer does Jadeja simply use his arms to strike the ball. He has learned to use his whole body. Observe and one will immediately discover the manner the hips drive through the ball and are so open moments after contact. In the past, Jadeja would simply use his upper body and arms to bludgeon the ball onto the leg side. Now, he simply pivots on his back foot and uses his lower body (predominately his hips) to drive towards the hitting zone. This movement has enabled him to extend his arms to the ball and generate more power.
A lot of the credit should be given to Jadeja and the coaching staff around him. The left-hander had improved his batting to a level where no longer can the bowlers just simply keep peppering him with short balls.
Harshal, tried his tricks but eventually succumbed to the brilliance of Jadeja. The other helping factor was that Jadeja had MS Dhoni batting alongside him. The former Indian skipper was quick to advice Jadeja, the line Patel would bowl.
“Mahi bhai told me he (Harshal) will be bowling somewhere outside the off-stump and I was ready for that.” He told the host broadcaster Star Sports after the game.
In the space of six balls, Jadeja had turned the match. The 36 runs, he clobbered off Patel had put Chennai in the box seat. When a total of 160-170 looked likely, Jadeja’s mastery ensured CSK reached a formidable total of 191. In the past, it would have been Dhoni who would have played such a knock with Jadeja watching from the non-strikers' end. But now the roles have reversed, instead of playing second fiddle, Jadeja is the primary finisher.
Even Dhoni was quick to talk about Jadeja’s evolution as a finisher, “I felt that the extra few runs Jadeja scored in the last over, that really helps because we were looking to go close to a par score 160-170. He's (Jadeja) somebody who can change the game on his own and we have seen that significant change with the bat”
And as if Jadeja’s batting wasn’t enough, the all-rounder inflicted a run-out and also took three important wickets. It was a special outing for Jadeja, a reminder not only of his exquisite skills with the ball and in the field, but also of his newly developed power game.
from Firstpost Sports Latest News https://ift.tt/2QXOZU2
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