Before the second ODI match against England, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin gave Ravindra Jadeja a lot of praise. Ashwin's commendation follows Jadeja's bowling a tight spell of 9-1-26-3 in the opening ODI of the three-match series, which was important in India's victory. India was able to chase down England for just 248 runs in 38.4 overs because of Jadeja's spell. Ashwin referred to Jadeja as the "Jackpot Jango" on his YouTube channel because India had a three-dimensional talent at their disposal.
Despite his years of contributions in all game formats, Ashwin believed that Jadeja was not given enough credit by the Indian media.
Ashwin on Jadeja
Jadeja became just the fifth Indian player to reach the 600-wicket mark for his country across all formats during the opening ODI of the series. He joined the likes of Kapil Dev, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Anil Kumble. Jadeja was lauded by Ashwin, who also said that the all-rounder had been scrutinized constantly during his career.
"Our media fails to appreciate when a player does well. Whenever we lose, everyone becomes a villain. He dismissed Joe Root [in the first ODI]. Jadeja always goes under the radar. He is a ‘Jackpot Jango.’ He is +10 in the field, also bowls well, and bats in pressure situations as well. We don’t give Jadeja enough credit," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"Jadeja is way more gifted than I ever can be. He is a born athlete. His major advantages lie in his physical fitness. He is naturally fit. Even at this age, he can cover the entire area from long-on to deep square leg while standing at mid-wicket. I wouldn’t be surprised. And I will be more than happy for him," he added.
In addition to his amazing bowling, Jadeja saved India from a little precarious batting scenario. After India lost three quick wickets, Jadeja led the side to victory with an undefeated score of 12 from 10 balls. The second ODI will now be played in Cuttack, on February 9.