IND vs WI 1st Test: Ravindra Jadeja once again proved his worth as one of India's most valuable Test cricketers, notching up his sixth century in the ongoing first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday (October 3).
The left-hander reached the landmark with a single off Jomel Warrican in the 126th over, bringing up yet another milestone in a career that has seamlessly blended batting resilience with bowling dominance.
The 35-year-old's innings was a masterclass in composure and controlled aggression. Facing 176 deliveries, Jadeja struck six fours and five towering sixes, adding crucial runs for India in the middle order. His partnership with wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel was the cornerstone of India's
innings, as the duo stitched together a massive 206-run stand for the fifth wicket. Jurel contributed 125 off 210 balls, while Jadeja's stroke-filled century underscored his ability to step up in pressure situations.
With this century, Jadeja joined an elite club of Indian all-rounders. He became only the third player from the country-after Kapil Dev and Ravichandran Ashwin-to score at least six hundreds and claim six or more five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Kapil's numbers read 8 hundreds and 23 five-fors from 131 Tests, while Ashwin, now retired, finished with 6 centuries and 37 five-wicket hauls in 106 matches. Jadeja's tally stands at six centuries and 15 five-fors in just 86 Tests, a testament to his all-round impact.
Interestingly, Jadeja's six-hitting spree also saw him move past MS Dhoni on India's all-time Test sixes list. With 80 maximums, he is now behind only Virender Sehwag, Rishabh Pant, and Rohit Sharma in this category.
His latest hundred is part of a purple patch that highlights his growing consistency with the bat. Looking back at his last 10 innings, Jadeja has produced scores of 104*, 9, 53, 20, 107, 72, 61, 89, 69, and 25, interspersed with a few low scores but marked by regular contributions. Notably, he has struck two centuries and four half-centuries during this period, underlining his reliability as a run-scorer in addition to his bowling exploits.
For a player long regarded as India's go-to all-rounder, Jadeja's recent batting form has lifted him into the category of match-winners who can change the course of a Test with either discipline. With age and experience on his side, his performances continue to cement his legacy as one of India's finest all-rounders in the modern era.
