Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja once again proved why he is an indispensable asset for India as he pummelled his first overseas Test century and third overall on Day 2 of the rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston on Saturday.
He followed Rishabh Pant's (146) path and built on his unbeaten overnight score of 83 to reach the three-figure-mark off 183 balls with a four through point off Matthew Potts. Later he was dismissed at the score of 104 off 194 when India's scoreboard read 375/9.
In the World Test Championship (2021-23), Jadeja has a better batting average than Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Steve Smith, David Warner and Kane Williamson during the same phase.
The 33-year-old all-rounder had scored his first Test hundred in 2018 against West Indies at Rajkot and had to wait for his second, which came against Sri Lanka in Mohali in March this year.
Jadeja stitched a crucial 222-run stand for the sixth wicket with Rishabh Pant (146) to bail India out of trouble after it was stuttering at 98 for five on the opening day of the match on Friday.
Earlier, Pant’s record-breaking and counter-attacking 146-run knock accompanied with Jadeja’s resilient unbeaten 83 has helped India dominate on Day 1 at Edgbaston. Pant, Jadeja broke records with the 222-run partnership for the sixth wicket to help India recover from 98/5 on a rain-affected day.
The rescheduled Test did not get off to an ideal start as Shubman Gill ot out early. Gill got out to James Anderson after scoring 17 runs. Promoted as an opener in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara stayed in the middle for more than an hour but eventually got out to Anderson.
Rain played spoilsport in the first session as Hanuma Vihari and Virat Kohli rushed back to the dressing room. After an early lunch, the play resumed and Matty Potts struck twice to get rid of Vihari and Kohli. Vihari got out lbw after scoring 20 runs. Kohli got out trying to leave the ball. The inswinging delivery hit his bat and crashed into the stumps. Kohli scored just 11 runs from 19 deliveries.
