Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shined with the bat in his first innings in the Australia tour as the left-handed batter played a crucial role in rescuing the Indian team from a deep trouble situation in the rain-marred Brisbane Test. After Jadeja’s heroic batting performance, Indian cricket fans slammed the Indian team management for dropping experienced Jadeja in the ongoing Australia tour. 

Experienced Ravindra Jadeja wasn’t selected for the first two Tests of the ongoing five-match Test series in the present Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia. Washington Sundar played the first Test at Perth under the stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, where India took a 1-0 series lead after winning the Test by 295 runs.

The next Test was a day-night pink ball Test at Adelaide, where the team management selected Ravichandran Ashwin on the skipper Rohit Sharma’s return. Pink-ball-experienced Australia claimed a 10-wicket win in that game to level the series. 

For the third Test of the series at Brisbane, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team tried with Ravindra Jadeja. The left-arm spinner bowled 23 overs in the first innings of the ongoing Gabba Test, where he conceded 95 runs without taking a wicket.

Watch: Kohli-Gambhir celebrate together after Akash Deep's heroic save

Ravindra Jadeja came to bat after India were five down to 74 runs

However, with the bat, Jadeja showed his value in the team, especially in the tough overseas tours like in Australia. When the left-handed batter came to bat during India’s first innings, the visitors were struggling at 74/5 in reply to Australia’s 445 all out first innings total. 

Jadeja set a valuable 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket with the opener KL Rahul, who also played an unforgettable knock of 84 runs. Jadeja also got another important support from Nitish Kumar Reddy, as they had a 53-run partnership for the seventh wicket. After the dismissal of Nitish, Jadeja tried his best to put India in the safe zone by guiding the total to the avoidable follow-on position.

Jadeja, who completed his half-century in 82 balls, scored 77 off 123 balls with the help of seven fours and one six before Pat Cummins dismissed him after Mitchell Marsh took a great catch at deep square. 

When Jadeja returned to the dressing room, where the Indian batter deservingly got a memorable standing ovation from the crowd, India were still 33 runs short of avoiding the follow-on, and only the last wicket was in hand. Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep played brilliantly for the last wicket partnership and just rescued the visitors from the follow-on. 

Left-handed batter Jadeja has a great Test record in Australia

It was Jadeja’s sixth Test innings in Australia, where the left-handed batter scored 252 runs with an average of 50.40, including three half-centuries. Moreover, Jadeja came to bat always at no.7 or lower-order batting position in Australia.   

Indian cricket fans appreciated Jadeja for his another great rescue performance in the Brisbane Test. Also, some fans are disappointed with the team management for not selecting him in the previous two Tests in the ongoing series. Even, the former Indian cricketers Mohammad Kaif, R Vinay Kumar, and Irfan Pathan also joined the Twitter army to appreciate the 36-year-old all-rounder.

Jadeja the warrior. He knows how to score runs in Australia. He holds 50+ average 👏👏#INDvAUS #RAVINDRAJADEJA pic.twitter.com/8CLNMGzn0Q

— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) December 17, 2024

India can think of dropping a batsman but not Jadeja. Unlike the top order, he didn't play and miss. He looked the most comfortable Indian batsman here. India on this tour have failed to put their best playing XI on field. Hope it changes in the last two Tests. #AUSvIND

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) December 17, 2024

Ravindra Jadeja as a test batsman is valuable @imjadeja

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 17, 2024

Take a bow SIR Jadeja 👑#RAVINDRAJADEJA #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/UVT6dGk5Ub

— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) December 17, 2024

Unpopular opinion:

Ravindra Jadeja should be the first name on the team sheet of India in test cricket. He's a better batsman than most of the players in the team and of course one of the best bowlers in the world.

Tell me one reason why he shouldn't?

— Yash (@CSKYash_) December 17, 2024

Sir Jadeja is India’s most underrated player. I am not sure why he gets dropped so often. I hope he now shows the world what he is made of once and for all👌👍 pic.twitter.com/KMQ8j4VFQm

— Dr. P@Indiamusings, PhD (@indiamusings) December 17, 2024

Sir Ravindra Jadeja Supremacy!💥💙

•Scored '77' runs & gave tribute to Thala.
•Silenced haters
•Did the usual damage control.
•Owned Gautam Gambhir#RavindraJadejapic.twitter.com/ZpB2n5a8pS

— Hustler (@HustlerCSK) December 17, 2024

Now I come to know why Rohit and Gambhir were dropping Jadeja ,

He has surpassed both Rohit and Gambhir's performance in Australia 😭🤣#INDvAUS #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/tJRnEMVXj3

— Navneet 🚩 (@MSDian067) December 17, 2024

Gambhir looking for a new excuse to play someone out of nowhere in place of Jadeja. pic.twitter.com/aRXl8ADS59

— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) December 17, 2024

Lone Warrior 🐐🔥#AUSvINDIA #RavindraJadeja pic.twitter.com/yPeAnwGZny

— Terminator (@OG_Terminator) December 17, 2024

Ravindra Jadeja is a no-brainer in any playing XI worldwide - the best all-rounder in the game. Yet, this baffling team management kept him on the bench #BGT #INDvsAUS #RavindraJadeja

pic.twitter.com/YJO7rr9334

— Abhinav Rajput (@Abhinavrt) December 17, 2024

KL and Jaddu's master knock!

▪︎ KL Rahul: 84 (139)
▪︎ Ravindra Jadeja: 77 (123)

🙌 Warriors who kept the battle of #GabbaTest alive, thanks for the fight!

Picture defines their infinite aura! ♾#KLRahul | #RavindraJadeja | #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/ksCCOBct9U

— Dhaval Balai (@DhavalBalai) December 17, 2024

New Zealand and England’s second Test came down to an exciting final run, and the Kiwis managed to win by just one run. New Zealand had given England a goal of 258 runs to win the game on the final day after being asked to follow on. 

However, when Joe Root and Ben Stokes were in the centre and putting on a 121-run partnership, the visitors appeared to be well on their way to victory.

Neil Wagner then stepped up for the Kiwis at that crucial moment. Before holding onto two important catches in the deep to dismiss Stuart Broad and Ben Foakes, the left-arm pacer, who had already taken four wickets in the game, dismissed both Root and Stokes.

James Anderson smashed a boundary off Wagner to reduce the equation to four runs off three balls with just two runs still required for victory. 

The Kiwi pacer, however, emerged victorious when he bowled Anderson down the leg side to give his squad an unforgettable victory.

The fact that New Zealand had been asked to follow on made the victory even more noteworthy because it was only the fourth time in the annals of Test cricket that a team had triumphed after being asked to do so. 

The West Indies victory over Australia in Adelaide in 1993 was the first occasion a team had won a Test by a solitary run.

The win resulted in a 1-1 draw in the two-match Test series between the two teams, with England having won the opening match in Mount Maunganui by a score of 267 runs. For the Kiwi fans, who saw one of the most thrilling finishes to a Test match in recent memory, the second Test, however, will be recalled for years to come.

There were many heroes for the Kiwi squad that day, with Wagner’s heroics being the most notable display. But Tim Southee, who claimed five wickets in the first innings, and BJ Watling, whose valiant 50 in the second innings helped secure the win, also deserve praise.

Overall, the second Test between England and New Zealand was a memorable game that will be remembered for its exhilarating finish. Tim Southee’s five-wicket haul, BJ Watling’s tenacious innings, and Neil Wagner’s heroics with the bat and ball all contributed to New Zealand’s historic win. 

The game also marked the second time a team won a Test by a single run and the fourth time in the annals of Test cricket that a team won a match after being asked to follow on. For years to come, both teams’ supporters will treasure their recollections of this thrilling game.

NZ vs ENG: Twitter Reactions

Virat Kohli announced that he will quit RCB Captaincy, but will continue to play in RCB till his retirement from all formats of the cricket game.

Virat Kohli recently announced that he will step down as Royal Challengers Bangalore Skipper after the current IPL season. This news has generated a lot of curiosity in everyone’s mind and it raises the question: Who will replace Kohli and lead RCB from the next season onwards?

Kohli expressed his statement through a video message that was officially posted on RCBs Twitter handle. He stated – “This is going to be my last leg in the IPL as captain of RCB. I have to manage my workload which has been immense over the last so many years and I won’t be able to continue to commit to the responsibilities that I am fulfilling and I felt that I needed the space to refresh and regrow, also understanding that RCB is gonna go through a transitional phase with the big auction coming next year”. “It’s been a great journey of 9 years of joy, frustration, moments of happiness as well as sadness. “I can’t think of myself  being in any other team than RCB and that has been my commitment from day 1. “I will continue to be a RCB player till I play my last game in the IPL”. “I would like to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players and RCB fans from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and believing in me relentlessly and unconditionally” – Kohli concluded. 

Earlier also, Virat had already announced he will quit from the captaincy of India after the T20 World Cup which is all set to begin at Dubai in October. He has led Bangalore since 2013 but has not won a single IPL title yet . Bangalore is currently at the third position in the points table of IPL 2021, after winning five of its seven games in India before the tournament got postponed to September due to Covid Pandemic.