On Sunday, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shone with the bat, helping his side cross the finish line in a stiff 316-run chase against West Indies in the third and final ODI at Cuttack.
Jadeja came up with a matured 31-ball 39 as he remained unbeaten when India clinched a 4-wicket win and eventually the 3-match ODI series. His average in ODIs this year was an impressive 34.33.
Jaddu stitched a 58-run partnership with his captain Virat Kohli for the 6th wicket after India had lost their middle-order batsmen, including Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Kedar Jadhav, cheaply. With Kohli getting out on 85, Jadeja then put on an unbeaten 30-run stand with tailender Shardul Thakur.
Speaking at the press conference after the match, Jadeja revealed what he told Shardul as the two pulled off a heroic chase to win the game and the series for India.
Jadeja and Shardul stood tall against Windies’ pace attack, with the latter scoring a four and a six early in his innings to bring the required run-rate under 6. From there on, the two played every delivery with caution and kept rotating the strike to complete the chase with 8 balls to spare.
T20I series ✅
ODI series ✅Early X-mas presents for the fans as India end 2019 on a high.#INDvWI #TeamIndia @paytm pic.twitter.com/0pevT671RF
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 22, 2019
“I told myself that I need to play till the last ball,” Jadeja said during the presser on Sunday.
“Yes, my innings was crucial because it was the decider. When I went in, my aim was to just stay with Virat and rotate the strike.”
Kohli’s dismissal had many biting their nails as India looked on the cusp of losing the series but Jadeja and Shardul impressed everyone with their maturity in the tense chase.
Jadeja, speaking to journalists, also revealed that he told Shardul how good the wicket is and if the two continue to play till the end, there’s no reason why they won’t win the match.
“When Shardul (Thakur) came in, I told him the wicket was good, the ball was coming on nicely so we were thinking like Virat and I were. And that was, if we play till the last ball and treat every ball on its merit, we will win.”
Sir-Dhool kelapitaanga! #WhistlePodu #INDvWI @imjadeja @imShard PC: @BCCI 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/SkNgbOuFt6
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) December 22, 2019
Jadeja seems to have re-established himself in the plans of the Indian team as far as the 50-overs cricket is concerned. While the left-hander hasn’t been in the best of form in the recent matches, he asserted that he only needs to prove his own worth to himself and not to the world outside.
“I didn’t play this year but whenever I got the chance, I needed to prove to myself that I am capable of playing one-day cricket. To no one else but myself,” added the 31-year-old.
