Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja’s phenomenal turnaround in ODIs in 2013

In 2012, both Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja were heavily criticised for their poor form by fans and cricket pundits. However this year, both cricketers have given a fitting riposte with their superb run. Bharath Ramaraj looks at the phenomenal rise of the two cricketers this year.

In 2013, both Rohit Sharma (left) and Ravindra Jadeja (right) have made their critics eat humble pie with fine performances © IANS

In 2012, both Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja were heavily criticised for their poor form by fans and cricket pundits. However this year, both cricketers have given a fitting riposte with their superb run. Bharath Ramaraj looks at the phenomenal rise of the two cricketers this year.
 
In India, cricket is a religion. Cricketers are showered and feted with front page tributes, awards and treated no less than demigods. With millions of cricket-obsessed followers, ‘Men in Blue’ are simply adored by fans. In fact, while an international game is taking place involving India, the cricket fever hits fever pitch in India with millions of hearts throbbing, be it in cities or villages.
 
With so much interest for cricket, there is also a chance of cricket-crazy fans turning a cricketer who is going through a rough patch into a scapegoat for the dismal performance of the team. Last year, snide jokes were made of both Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma. Strangely, even when they were not playing for India, they were heavily criticised. Jadeja was ridiculed to the extent of fans mockingly calling him as ‘Sir Ravindra Jadeja’.
 
This year though, both of them have made their critics eat humble pie by touching stratospheric peaks with some resplendent performances. Jadeja has taken 49 wickets in One-Day Internationals at 22.22 in a mere 29 games this year. Astonishingly, he is now the highest wicket-taker for the calendar year 2013. For a bowler who averaged 97.5 for his four wickets in 2012, he has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround. On the other end of the spectrum, Rohit has now become the highest run-getter in ODIs this year.
 
Let us analyse Ravindra Jadeja’s phenomenal rise in 2013

Table updated before the start of 2nd ODI match between India and West Indies on November 24, 2013
 

In terms of wickets taken, to tower ahead of the likes of Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan and the ever-consistent Clint McKay takes some doing. Interestingly, out of the 49 wickets he has taken this year, he has sent 8 batsmen packing back to the pavilion via lbw mode and has shattered the stumps of 14 batsmen. It gives an inkling of Jadeja’s modus operandi.
 
He keeps it simple by attacking the stumps with good control and waits for the batsmen to play shots in sheer frustration. When a batsman, especially plays across the line, a left-arm spinner like Jadeja will always be in the business. It also has to be said that he is extracting more turn out of surfaces these days.
 
It is rightly said that in an age when umpires are ready to give more batsmen out leg-before on front foot, left arm spinners are like gold dust. Remember, lower-down the order Jadeja has also made valuable contributions with the willow.
 
Jadeja’s teammate, Rohit is another cricketer who has risen like a phoenix from the Ashes this year. In 2012, he accrued a mere 168 runs at an average of 12.92 in 14 ODIs. But in 2013, he has been in rip-roaring form.
 
Let us analyse Rohit Sharma’s crackerjack form in 2013

Table updated before the start of 2nd ODI match between India and West Indies on November 24, 2013
 
It is a well known fact that over the last few years, Virat Kohli has been the man to beat in terms of aggregating tons of runs in the abridged form the of the game. However this year, Rohit’s prestidigitation has been such that in terms of runs aggregated, he is now slightly ahead of even his teammate Kohli. A batting average of 60.15 and a strike rate of 82.94 also indicates that when needed, Rohit has been able to farm the strike and anchor the innings. Opening the batting has certainly done wonders to his confidence.
 
In short, Both Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma have played key roles in India’s rise to the top of One-day rankings this year.

(Bharath Ramaraj, an MBA in marketing, eats, drinks and sleeps cricket. He has played at school and college-level, and now channelises his passion for the game by writing about it)

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