Ravindra Jadeja creates history, scores third first-class triple ton

December 3, 2012

jadeja3Ton


Mumbai, December 3: Discarded India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was more in the news last season for the amount he fetched in the IPL auctions for season 5. Chennai Super Kings, owned by BCCI president N Srinivasan, bagged the Saurashtra cricketer for an astronomical $2 million (Rs 9.72 crore approx) after winning the tie-breaker that followed a theatrical bidding war with Deccan Chargers.

On Sunday though, he made news for his on-field exploits. The left-hander scored 320 not out against Railways at Rajkot and became the first Indian to post three first-class triple hundreds, surpassing the feats of Vijay Hazare, Raman Lamba, VVS Laxman, Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag.

Jadeja had scored 303 against Gujarat at Surat last month. His first triple ton was registered against Orissa (314 ) at Cuttack last November. While Sehwag's triple tons have come at the Test level, both Jaffer and Laxman's epics have come in the Ranji Trophy.

What's more, Jadeja ensured that his name will be mentioned in the same breath as that of Don Bradman as he became only the eighth man in history to have three 300-plus scores in first-class cricket, joining Bradman, Brian Lara, Bill Ponsford, Wally Hammond, WG Grace, Graeme Hick and Mike Hussey.

Jadeja hit 28 fours and seven sixes during his marathon 11-and-a-half-hour knock, facing 491 deliveries. "It's a tremendous achievement," exclaimed out-of-favour Indian opener and Mumbai stalwart Jaffer.

"To score two triple hundreds in a season, which is just five matches old, is not a joke. He was always rated highly, but was known more as a swashbuckling batsman who was a good bowler and exceptional fielder.

"But he has worked on his game and this spell out of the Indian team seems to have made him hungrier and has forced him to work harder," Jaffer added.

Saurashtra coach Debu Mitra, who has worked with players like Jadeja and rising India star Cheteshwar Pujara since their under-19 days and who has been with the side since nine years, endorses that view.

"He doesn't get satisfied easily these days and wants to work hard. He keeps telling me to watch him in the nets and even when I tell him that all is fine, he will ask, 'Sir, dekho kuch gadbad to nahin (See is there is a problem with my batting )," Mitra said.

Jadeja, who has represented India in 58 ODIs and 12 T20s, hasn't yet played Tests. Coach Mitra says the One-day tag is unfair to him. "He is ready for Tests as he is willing to show patience and can bat for long periods. His bowling too has improved a lot as his 13 wickets in four matches show."


Deconstructing his ward's knock, Mitra said: "As we were 90 for 4, I had told him, bahar ka ball mat khelna (leave outgoing deliveries). Of the 491 deliveries he faced, he must have left close to 200. That's application. The only time he got aggressive was when he was approaching his double hundred. But he settled down again. He wants to score big hundreds these days."

Jadeja hails from Jamnagar, a city known for its big oil companies.

His recent cricketing feats have only made the city, 337 kms west of Gujarat capital Gandhinagar, that much slicker.

BATTING ON & ON...

Ravindra Jadeja, with his unbeaten 320 vs Railways in a Ranji Trophy match, has become the first Indian batsman to post three triple hundreds in first-class cricket. Jadeja is also the top run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy this season, with 645 runs at 161.25 in four matches.



EARLIER TRIPLE TONS

314 vs Orissa at Cuttack in Nov 2011
303 not out vs Gujarat at Surat in Nov 2012

FIRST-CLASS BATTING RECORD

Match 42, Runs 3017, Ave 53.87, 100s 7, 50s 10

OTHERS WITH THREE OR MORE TRIPLE TONS IN FIRST-CLASS CRICKET

Don Bradman (6), Bill Ponsford and Wally Hammond (4 each), WG Grace, Graeme Hick, Brian Lara, Mike Hussey (3 each).



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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has slammed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not allowing recreational cricket to resume.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had described the cricket ball as a 'natural vector of disease' and ruled out recreational cricket's return in the country.

Hearing Johnson's argument, Vaughan tweeted: "Hand sanitiser in every players pocket. Use every time you touch the ball ... SIMPLE ... Recreational Cricket should just play from July 4th ... utter nonsense it's not being allowed back ... #Cricket."

Johnson was responding to a question from Conservative MP Greg Clark in the House of Commons, and it was then that Johnson said that it is too soon to lift current restrictions to allow the return of recreational cricket.

"The problem with cricket as everybody understands is that the ball is a natural vector of disease, potentially at any rate. We've been around it many times with our scientific friends," ESPNCricinfo had quoted Johnson as saying.

"At the moment, we're still working on ways to make cricket more COVID-secure but we can't change the guidance yet," he added.

Johnson had announced various relaxations on Tuesday, but the return of recreational cricket was not a part of them.

However, this statement given by Johnson will have no impact on the Test series between England and West Indies, scheduled to begin from July 8.

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said that it is looking to resume recreational cricket in the country around July 4.

The board has also said that cricket is a low-risk sport as it is a non-contact sport.

"We believe that cricket is a non-contact sport, with very low risks of exposure, and that it can be played as safely as many other activities being currently permitted," the ECB said in an official statement.

"It is our strong desire to work with Government to see the return of recreational cricket on or around 4th July, as they continue to lift other restrictions more broadly across society," it added.

All international cricket has also been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it is set to resume to from July 8 as England and West Indies will lock horns in the three-Test series.

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: Virat Kohli's natural talent makes him a cricketing equivalent of Roger Federer while Steve Smith's mental fortitude matches that of Rafael Nadal, said South African swashbuckler AB de Villiers comparing the two contemporary greats.

In an instagram chat with former Zimbabwe seamer Pommie Mbangwa, de Villiers spoke about the two batsmen, who are easily the game's biggest crowd-pullers right now.

"It's a difficult one, but Virat is definitely the more natural ball-striker, there's no doubt about that," de Villiers said during his interaction on 'Sports Hurricane'.

"In tennis terms, I'd say he's more like a (Roger) Federer whereas Smith is like a (Rafael) Nadal. Smith is mentally very strong and figures out a way of scoring runs - he doesn't look natural, but he ends up writing records and doing amazing things at the crease.

"I think mentally, Smith is one of the best I have ever seen. Virat has also scored runs all over the world and won games under pressure," de Villiers,himself a modern day great, said.

De Villiers also felt that when it comes to chasing, Kohli is a shade ahead of Tendulkar.

"Sachin is a role model for both of us (him and Kohli). The way he stood out in his era, the things he achieved and with the grace he did all that is a great example for everyone," de Villiers said.

"And I think Virat will also say that he set the standards for us to follow.

"But personally, in a chase, I'd say Virat is the best I've seen in my life. Sachin was amazing in all formats and all situations, but Virat comes out on top while chasing."

The world knows Kohli as a prolific cricketer but for de Villiers, he is a friend, who has interests beyond cricket and is spiritual at one level.

"He's much deeper than just a cricket player...I think most people realise after a while that there's more to life than just cricket," de Villiers said.

"...Virat's always been a thinker, he experiments (with) a lot of things, he loves trying new things out - gym wise, what he puts in his mouth. He thinks a lot about life after life - what's to come, the different religions, we talk about everything."

De Villiers said that he also shares a great bond with Indian captain's actor wife Anushka Sharma, conversing on a lot of issues including family life.

"We go pretty deep and his missus as well, Anushka, we have very deep conversations, which is fantastic. We talk about children and family. We're waiting for that first little Kohli to come.

"It's a good friendship and we always find a way to talk about cricket as well, but 90 per cent of the time we talk about other stuff. It's refreshing and in the middle of a very intense IPL tournament," he shared.

IPL, for de Villiers, is not just a tournament but also about friendships that he cherishes.

"Obviously, when it comes to the IPL in India, it's been more than friendship," De Villiers said, when asked who his best friends in cricket are.

"Virat obviously - not only during the IPL, we chat throughout the year, which means it's different than just the IPL or cricketing friendship.

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Agencies
April 12,2020

London, Apr 12: Former Formula 1 legendary driver Stirling Moss died at the age of 90 on Sunday.

"All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends," Formula 1 said in a statement.

Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

In his 10-year-long stint at the tracks, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history - his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.

Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.

Following an enforced retirement from racing (barring a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.

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