India’s
star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made history in the first Test against Sri
Lanka in Mohali, becoming the first player in nearly 50 years to score over 150
runs and bag a five-wicket haul in the same innings in the format.
The 33-year-old
came agonizingly close to making a new world record. After picking up four wickets
in the second innings, Jadeja was one scalp away from becoming the first player
in the 145-year history of Test cricket to score over 150 runs and bag 10
wickets in the same match.
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And Jadeja’s
all-rounder teammate Ravichandran Ashwin believes the southpaw is only getting
started. The Chennai-born spinner said he was surprised to see Jadeja took so
long to achieve the feat.
“To think
about the fact that Jadeja’s first hundred and five-wicket accumulation in a
Test match came only now is a matter of surprise for me because the way he has
gone about his business and the kind of pedigree he carries,” Ashwin was quoted
as saying by the Hindustan Times.
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“I am sure
that is not going to be the first one and the last one we see. I am sure he is
going to repeat those feats consistently over the next few years and I really
do wish to see Jadeja cross barriers and barriers,” the 35-year-old added.
Ashwin also
made history at the Mohali Test, surpassing World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev
to become India’s second highest wicket-taker in the format.
Ashwin finished with six
wickets in the match to take his tally to 436, two more than the all-round
great Kapil Dev. He is now only behind spin legend Anil Kumble (613) as highest wicket-taking Indians in Test cricket.
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Jadeja, who
had previously said that he long dreamed of scoring a hundred and taking five
wickets in the same Test innings, recently returned to the summit of the ICC Test
All-Rounders rankings.
His unbeaten 175 helped India to a total of 574 for the loss of eight. He then took nine wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 174 and 178, giving India a massive innings and 222-run victory to take a 1-0 lead in the 2-Test series.