Netizens went wild after India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja made a grand return to action on Day 1 of the opening Test match against Australia in Nagpur on Thursday.

 

Playing for India for the first time since September 2022, when he suffered a knee injury before undergoing surgery and beginning a long rehab period, Ravindra Jadeja was on the money from ball one, finding enough turn, loop, and bounce to trouble the Australian batters on a dry wicket in Vidarbha.

With former Australian cricketers like Ian Healy putting juice in the series much before it kickstarted in the ‘City of Oranges' with his remarks about “unfair” pitches in India, the first day in Nagpur lived up to its billing.

While Team India pacers, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, started the Australian collapse with wickets of their openers, Usman Khawaja and David Warner, it was Ravindra Jadeja who turned out to be the hero of Day 1, picking a five-wicket haul for just 47 runs. It was the 11th occasion when Ravindra Jadeja had taken a fifer in Test cricket and the 4th time against the Kangaroos.

The other man to help Ravindra Jadeja dismantle the Australian batting line-up was his spin mate Ravichandran Ashwin who took 3/42 to put India on top on the first day of the series. Ravichandran's three wickets also included his 450th scalp, making him the quickest Indian to do so in 89 Tests, ahead of the legendary Anil Kumble.

Despite Ravichandran Ashwin's massive feat, Ravindra Jadeja was the one who stole the limelight at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium because he never looked rusty despite not having played any form of international cricket for more than five months.

Instead, Ravindra Jadeja seemed to be enjoying his cricket out there in the middle and looked to be one bowler to take wickets every over.

He got his rewards in the form of big wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. The two batters were sent back to the pavilion by a peach of delivery each from Jadeja. If Marnus Labuschagne was stumped after the Saurashtra-born left-arm spinner brought him out of the crease, Steve Smith lost his stumps after the ball straightened from the middle stump.

After stumps, an ecstatic Ravindra Jadeja revealed the reasons behind his exemplary display on Day 1.

“There was no bounce on the wicket, I was targeting the stump-to-stump line. The odd ball was spinning and the odd ball was going straight. Being a left-arm spinner, if you get batsmen out caught behind or stumped, you always give credit to the ball,” Ravindra Jadeja told Star Sports, the host broadcaster of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“In Test match cricket, whatever wicket you take, you are happy with that. I was working hard on my bowling when I was in Bangalore at the NCA. I was bowling 10-12 hours everyday and that helped me a lot. I was working on my rhythm because I knew that I have to play Test match and I have to bowl long spells,” Ravindra Jadeja added.

“Very happy with the way I was bowling. I was enjoying my bowling. Playing after 5 months, playing Test cricket, it's tough. I was prepared for it and I was working hard on my fitness as well as on my skills at NCA,” the southpaw elaborated.

“I played a first-class game (Ranji) after a long time and I bowled almost 42 overs. It gave me a lot of confidence to come here and play a Test match,” Ravindra Jadeja concluded.

His sensational comeback didn't go unnoticed on Twitter, with a vast legion of Indian cricket admirers praising him on the social network.

“What a spell by Ravindra Jadeja – 5/47 in 22 overs against Australia. A comeback to remember for Jadeja, wickets of well set Labuschagne, Smith and Handscomb. Well bowled, Jaddu!” a Jadeja supporter wrote on the microblogging site.

“2017: A 6W haul in the first innings of the Bengaluru Test.
2023: A 5W haul in the first innings of the Nagpur Test.”

“Ravindra Jadeja's love affair with the Australian batters continues,” another added.

“A timely reminder of the high quality of Ravindra Jadeja. Averages 24 with the ball, 36 with the bat and one of the best fielders in the world over the last 30 years. Through 60 Test matches. Genuine superstar,” a third claimed.

“Ravindra Jadeja reassures his class with a fantastic spell. What a way to come back after injury,” former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath declared.

“Ravindra Jadeja is definitely among the top 10 test cricketers produced by India. I have not seen more valuable indian test player than Jadeja. Unfortunately we have failed to hype him more,” a fifth pointed out.

“Since 1900, no cricketer has taken more Test wickets against Australia at a lower average than Ravindra Jadeja,” a sixth highlighted.