Ravindra Jadeja not being given a few more overs to complete his maiden double Test century has not gone down well with the fans and experts, who have guided their anger, confusion, frustrations towards India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid.
In the first innings against Sri Lanka of the Mohali Test, India declared their innings
at the mammoth total of 574/8 on Day 2, however, that left Jadeja stranded at 175* at the stroke of Tea. With the innings declared, the umpires called for an early Tea.
Ravindra Jadeja, returning to Test cricket after missing the South Africa tour due to injury, had remained unbeaten on 45 at the end of Day 1 as he watched Rishabh Pant maul the Lankan bowler. He then carried on piling more on the Sri Lankan attack depleted by the injury to pacer Kahiru Kumara on Day 1.
He raised his fifty early in the morning off 87 balls and then his hundred – second in Tests – off 160 balls just before lunch. Then after taking India to over 450, Jadeja, conjuring century stands with R Ashwin and Mohammed Shami, played some attacking shots to reach 175 off 228 balls, his innings laced with 17 fours and 3 sixes.
With Jadeja’s attacking prowess, and a lot of time left in the game, plus India’s strong bowling in home conditions against Sri Lanka’s fragile batting, fans were expecting India to allow the southpaw to reach the 200 mark. However, Rohit signalled to end the innings, and gave his bowlers full one session to make inroads, which they did, nipping out four Sri Lankan wickets in a lengthy third session of 43 overs.
This has got the fans furious and questioning Sharma and Rahul Dravid why Jadeja wasn’t given just a few more overs to reach the 200-run landmark.
Among many renowned journalists, Sushant Sinha made a staggering claim. Sushant Sinha pointed out that this is not Dravid’s first instance of participation in a declaration when a batsman is nearing his double hundred: as a captain, Rahul Dravid had shockingly declared India’s innings in the 2004 Multan Test versus Pakistan when Sachin Tendulkar was batting on 194.
Sushant Sinha opined that Dravid doesn’t like batters scoring double hundreds!
Here is the journalist’s tweet:
Sachin- 194*
Jadeja- 175*
Both times Innings declared.
राहुल द्रविड़ को लोगों को 200 बनाते देखना अच्छा नहीं लगता शायद।— Sushant Sinha (@SushantBSinha) March 5, 2022
