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Saturday, December 06, 2025 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.

Tag Results for "Ravindra Jadeja" (2 articles)

India’s Jasprit Bumrah (right) greets his teammate Ravindra Jadeja as they leave the ground at the end of play on the second day of the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata Saturday. (AFP)
Sport

India close in on win after South Africa collapse

Veteran spinner Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets to put India in sight of victory on a manic day two of a low-scoring opening Test Saturday.South Africa were 93-7 at stumps to lead by 63 runs in their second innings on an Eden Gardens pitch that has made batting decidedly tricky.Fifteen wickets fell during the second day and K L Rahul’s 39 - from 119 balls - in India’s first innings remains the highest individual score of the match.Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma tried to replicate Rahul’s obduracy, making an unbeaten 29. Corbin Bosch, on one, was with him when play was called off due to bad light.Spinner Simon Harmer had dragged the visitors back into the contest with figures of 4-30 that helped bowl out India for 189 with the hosts taking a slender lead of 30.“Playing in India you know you will be under pressure and I thought we fought back well today in restricting them,” Harmer told reporters.“Cricket’s a funny game, we could be sitting here Monday night with a completely different story. South Africa manage to get to 150 and bowl India out for 80.”“If there is one thing that this team has showed it’s that they can fight when the backs are against the wall,” added Harmer.Jadeja’s 27 was key to India’s first innings total and the 36-year-old all-rounder showed the other side of his game with some testing left-arm spin.South Africa found themselves in a hole when Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja removed the openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram either side of the tea break.Jadeja kept up the pressure as he struck twice in one over to send back Wiaan Mulder, caught behind by Rishabh Pant for 11, and two balls later Tony de Zorzi who was caught off his glove and thigh pad by Dhruv Jurel at short-leg.He had South Africa in more trouble when he spun the ball sharply to bowl Tristan Stubbs for five to bring the house down at the iconic venue that had over 47,000 fans according to official data.The biggest cloud on India’s horizon was the absence of skipper Shubman Gill who retired hurt on four with a neck problem. He did not return to resume his innings and nor did he field, with vice-captain Pant leading the team.Earlier, India lost regular wickets to survive just 62.2 overs in response to South Africa’s first innings total of 159.“Even we didn’t expect the wicket to deteriorate so quickly,” India bowling coach Morne Morkel said.“I thought it to be a good wicket in the first couple of overs, but that’s the beauty of playing in the sub-continent that you need to adapt and react quickly. We have quality with both seam and spin and that covers both bases.”The hosts resumed on 37-1 with overnight batters Rahul and Washington Sundar, who made 29, extending their partnership to 57 in a grinding first hour.Pant hit a 24-ball 27 on a pitch with inconsistent bounce and more turn expected.Sundar hit two fours and one six in his otherwise laboured knock before falling caught behind to Harmer.Gill walked out to loud cheers but his stay was limited to three balls as he swept Harmer for a four at backward square-leg and then held his neck in pain. The physio soon arrived and Gill walked back to the pavilion.Rahul kept up his hard work from day one when he made 13 off 59 balls and on day two looked more assured until his departure off Keshav Maharaj.India went into lunch at 138-4 and Jurel started with two fours after the break before Harmer had him caught and bowled for 14 to trigger a collapse.Jadeja took India into the lead with a boundary but fell lbw to Harmer and India slipped further when pace bowler Jansen had Kuldeep caught behind for one.Harmer cleaned up Axar Patel to end the Indian innings. Jansen returned figures of 3-35.BRIEF SCORESSouth Africa 159 and 93 for 7 (Bavuma 29*, Jadeja 4-29) lead India 189 (Rahul 39, Harmer 4-30, Jansen 3-35) by 63 runs

India’s Ravindra Jadeja (right) celebrates with team-mates taking the wicket of West Indies’ Shai Hope during the third day of the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad Saturday. AFP
Sport

Jadeja stars as India crush West Indies in first Test

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja starred with bat and ball as India hammered West Indies by an innings and 140 runs inside three days of the first Test Saturday.India declared on their overnight 448-5, a lead of 286, and then bundled the West Indies out for 146 in the second session at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.It was another heavy and demoralising defeat for West Indies, who are a pale shadow of the team that once ruled world cricket.Left-handed Jadeja stood out for India with 4-54 from his spin bowling after he hit an unbeaten 104 for his sixth Test century and was named player of the match.“Honestly, I think this was the perfect game for us,” India skipper Shubman Gill said. “Three centuries and we fielded really well, so no complaints.”“When you’ve got quality spinners like them, it’s difficult to be able to rotate, but it’s good to have an option of too many,” he said of his bowlers. “That’s the fun of playing in India.”Alick Athanaze, a left-handed number three, made 38 and offered some belated resistance with Justin Greaves in a partnership of 46, but the rest of the West Indies batting fell apart.Washington Sundar and then pace bowler Mohammed Siraj struck regular blows before Kuldeep Yadav wrapped up the match as the West Indies innings folded in 45.1 overs.Siraj continued his good form with figures of 4-40 in the first innings after West Indies opted to bat. He then extended his tally of wickets this year to 30, after playing a key role in India’s 2-2 draw in England. India have still not lost a Test to the West Indies at home since 1994.‘Improve skills’West Indies were swept 3-0 at home by Australia this year and were bowled out for 27 in the third match - the second-lowest score in Test history. Their batting woes continued after they won the toss and could only manage a meagre first innings total of 162.“Obviously, we had a poor batting display, that’s been something that’s been plaguing us for the past two series,”Chase told reporters. “We’ve not been able to at least bat 80 overs by a day or even get at least 250 or 300 runs on the board.”“I just think that we have to improve our skill levels.”KL Rahul led India’s batting dominance with his 100 before Dhruv Jurel, who made 125, and Jadeja put on 206 for the fifth wicket on Friday. Jadeja took on the West Indies spinners, hitting left-arm orthodox Jomel Warrican for five sixes.Chase claimed two wickets and debutant left-arm spinner Khary Pierre claimed his first in a Test after wicketkeeper-batsman Jurel registered his maiden Test century. West Indies have struggled in the absence of premier fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, both ruled out with injury.India are strong favourites to win 2-0 against an opposition that is a pale shadow of the team that once ruled world cricket.The second Test begins on October 10 in New Delhi.BRIEF SCORES: India 448 for 5 (Jurel 125, Jadeja 104*, Rahul Chase 2-90) beat West Indies 162 (Greaves 32, Siraj 4-40, Bumrah 3-42) and 146 (Athanaze 38, Jadeja 4-54, Siraj 3-31) by an innings and 140 runs.