London [UK], September 16 (ANI): Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott revealed star Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to be his current favourite cricketer, hailing the veteran for his “energy” and how “he has a smile on his face but is tough from inside”.
Boycott was speaking on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast, hosted by fellow England stars Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell, and David Lloyd.
Speaking on the podcast, on being asked about his current favourite cricketer, Boycott, who has 8,114 runs in 108 Tests with 22 centuries, admitted that Jadeja is his current favourite cricketer, though he has not met him.
“I like Jadeja. I have always liked him, though I don’t know him and have never met him. He’s always in the game. Bowls left-arm spin, and his fielding is fantastic. I have always thought that if you can do a really great job in the team, fine, become a great player, get your runs. But another quality isn’t spoken about much. That is, through your performance, can you lift the others? And he fields so brilliantly with such energy. And, he bats,” he said.
“He has a smile on his face, but is tough inside. In Test matches for India, and a lot of T20s, he has helped Chennai win five times. Them and Mumbai (CSK and MI) have won it five each. He is a top player and does everything I like about a cricketer – energy, smiles, tough underneath and competitive. He fields brilliantly,” he added.
Across all of international cricket, Jadeja has scored 7,207 runs in 306 innings and 363 matches at an average of 33.83, with five centuries and 40 fifties, and picked up 615 wickets at an average of 29.42, with best figures of 7/42, 17 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls. With these figures, he has solidified himself as one of world’s finest all-rounders of modern era and an all-time great for India.
Test cricket remains his best form, having made 3,886 runs in 85 Tests and 128 innings at an average of 37.72, with a best score of 175*, five centuries and 40 fifties. He has also taken 330 wickets at an average of 25.16, with best figures of 7/42, 15 five-wicket hauls and three ten-fers.
During the recent tour of England, Jadeja was sensational, ending as the fourth-highest run-getter with 516 runs in 10 innings at an average of 86.00, with a best score of 107*, a century and five fifties and also took seven important wickets, bowling crucial overs. He broke several records as a middle-order batter.
Jadeja continued his fine run in England, which becomes even more special because of his status as a middle-order all-rounder. His aggregate of 1,158 runs in 17 matches and 33 innings here at an average of 41.35, with two centuries and eight fifties, now puts him third among Indians, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar (1,575) and Rahul Dravid (1,376) when it comes to runs in England.
Remarkably, among touring cricketers from any country, only West Indies legend Garry Sobers, with 1,820 runs and 62 wickets, has more runs and wickets than Jadeja’s 1,158 and 34 in England among batters playing at number six or below. He also holds the record for most runs scored by an Indian batting at number six or below during a Test series. (ANI)
