Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was livid with Ravindra Jadeja for giving a reprieve to Marnus Labuschagne as his no ball problem persisted on Day 1 of Indore Test. Jadeja got Labuschagne’s wicket when he had not opened his account. But the no ball cost India 31 runs as Labuschagne frustrated Indian spinners on a dust bowl of a pitch where the hosts got all out for 109.
Jadeja bowled a total of seven no balls in the first Test in Nagpur. He got the wicket of Steve Smith off a no ball but it did not cost India as they needed just one wicket to win the game. The left-arm spinner improved in the second Test and bowled just one no ball. But, he bowled two no balls on Day 1 of Indore Test.
Jadeja’s first no ball of Day 1 cost India dearly. Even head coach Rahul Dravid could not hide his disappointment in the dressing room as he shook his head. Australia could have been on the back foot after losing Labuschagne’s wicket early but he shared a 96-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Usman Khawaja that put Australia in control.
"That's unacceptable... He has a couple of man-of-the-match awards but for a spinner to bowl no-balls like this... This could cost India. Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach) has to sit with him and make him bowl from behind (the line). He has got off the mark now Marnus, he would have been out for a duck," Gavaskar said in commentary.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri agreed with Gavaskar as he said, "These little errors could prove costly on a track like this.”
Jadeja did manage to get Labuschagne’s wicket in the end. He got bowled by a slider that beat his bat. Jadeja also managed to achieve a rare double in international cricket. He became the second Indian all-rounder to take 5,000 runs and 500 wickets in international cricket.
On the back of impactful performances, Jadeja also moved up in the ICC Test bowler rankings. He climbed to eighth spot after 10 wickets in Delhi Test including his career-best seven-fer.
