India vs South Africa: Ravindra Jadeja faces first big overseas challenge since breakthrough home run

Ever since he made a comeback into the Test side ahead of the home series against South Africa in 2015, Ravindra Jadeja has achieved success like never before. That makes him worthy of being one of India's first-choice slow bowlers, at least in longest format and subcontinental conditions.

With most of the assignments taking place in familiar conditions where visiting teams had a hard time adjusting to weather and turning tracks, the conditions were rife for Jadeja to strike as he went about his business with unflinching accuracy. The result? Collecting wickets in heaps alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, the other half of the 'spin twins'.

File image of Ravindra Jadeja. Reuters

With the amount of cricket that the Indians have played at home over the last two years, the Saurashtra left-arm spinner has made the most of the opportunities that have come his way, demolishing opposition with his workmanlike approach that has translated to tireless spells.

One could say he hit his peak around the English and Australian tours of India — during which he seemed to have stepped out of the shadow of Ashwin — particularly in the Chennai Test against England, where he collected his career-best haul of 7/48 even as local boy Ashwin struggled for rhythm. Jadeja carried that form to the Australia series, in which he finished as the leading wicket-taker, particularly making his presence felt in the Bengaluru and Ranchi Tests.

Such has been his involvement in constructing victories in the longest format in recent times that he could very well be considered an integral member of the Test side — one whose spot in the team is almost as assured as that of Cheteshwar Pujara at No 3. The aforementioned statement finds no rebuttal when the topic is centred around turning pitches in the subcontinent, something that one rarely finds in the country where the Indians are headed next.

The going hasn't quite been easy for Jadeja in recent times as far as his, as well as Ashwin's, chances in limited-overs cricket are concerned. Failure to make an impact in the Champions Trophy earlier this year — in sharp contrast to his heroics in the 2013 edition — as well as the rise of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has meant his exclusion from white-ball cricket for the time being.

It might not be entirely unfair to give Jadeja some advantage in this regard — wrist-spinners are after all less reliant on the turn and bounce on offer than finger-spinners. Jadeja's accuracy, combined with his clever changes of pace is what will be handier when it comes to setting batsmen up in those conditions.

One certainly hopes he still has maintained his batting skills at the highest level, which has helped add depth to the Indian batting order in recent times. Watching the Rajput-style bat-wielding celebration every time he gets to a half-century is certainly a treat to watch, and many a fan would hope to see it at venues such as the Newlands in Capetown.

Given the fact that India have not played any major team away from home since Jadeja's golden run post the winter of 2015, the tour to South Africa will certainly shape up to be the first big hurdle of what could go down as one of the most challenging years of Jadeja's career. How he faces up to the daunting prospect remains to be seen — performing in these conditions could very well add another dimension to his profile as a frontline spinner in the Indian team.

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Published Date: Dec 26, 2017 09:49 am | Updated Date: Dec 26, 2017 09:51 am