IND vs WI 2025: 'That's why he's India’s most successful spinner' - Anil Kumble dissects Ravindra Jadeja's bowling
Three of West Indian's first four wickets in their first innings of the second Test were off the bowling of Jadeja.
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Former Indian cricketer and legendary spinner Anil Kumble recently discussed what makes Ravindra Jadeja lethal. Three of West Indies' first four wickets on the second day of the second Test went to Jadeja.
Kumble explained how testing the batter with pace holds key on pitches that lose their natural pace. He compared how top pacers and Jadeja work almost the similar way when it comes to bowling on pitches which have lost their conduciveness for bowlers.
“On a surface like this, where the pace has slowed down, as the game has progressed, hitting that spot just short of a length and hurrying the batter is key. That’s exactly the kind of length Jadeja operates in. It’s one of the main reasons why he has been India’s most successful spinner and bowler so far. It’s similar to how a fast bowler needs to hit the pitch hard on a slightly damp surface to get seam movement. Likewise, for a spinner, you can’t just toss it up, you need to bowl it into the surface, which is what Jadeja does so well," stated Kumble while speaking to JioHotstar.
Kumble also commented on how Jadeja's natural variations came into effect when he dismissed Tagenarine Chanderpaul (34 off 67) and skipper Roston Chase (0 off 7).
"That’s when the variations and vagaries of the pitch come into play. If it hits the rough, there’s sharp turn due to the pace he bowls at, but if it lands on a decent patch, it can skid through. That makes him so dangerous on such tracks. When he bowls slightly shorter, forcing batters into mistakes, like Roston Chase trying to clear the mid-wicket gap or Chanderpaul getting out to a ball that straightened after Jadeja had been spinning it into him. It was clever bowling from Ravindra Jadeja,” he added.
Meanwhile, India won the toss and opted to bat first. They declared on a score of 518/5. as Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 175 off 258 while Shubman Gill remained not-out on a 196-ball 129. The hosts lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Ahmedabad by an innings and 140 runs.
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