Galle, Aug 19:
Ravindra Jadeja added another landmark to his illustrious Test career on Monday, becoming only the fourth cricketer in history to complete the rare double of 4,000 runs and 350 wickets in the longest format.
Jadeja reached the milestone during the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, claiming his second wicket of the innings to take his Test tally to 350.
The landmark wicket came when Sri Lanka’s Keshara Nuwantha attempted to hit an away-turning delivery through the off side. The ball instead deflected off his knee and ballooned towards Shubman Gill, who completed the catch.
With the wicket, Jadeja also became only the fifth Indian to reach 350 Test wickets.
He joined an illustrious list featuring Anil Kumble (619), Ravichandran Ashwin (537), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (417).
Jadeja had contributed 13 runs earlier in India’s first innings, which ended at 462, before making a decisive impact with the ball as Sri Lanka slipped to 243/7 in reply. Jadeja’s latest feat places him in an exclusive club alongside three of the greatest all-rounders in Test history — Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori.
Kapil remains the leading run-scorer among the quartet, finishing his 131-Test career with 5,248 runs and 434 wickets. England legend Botham accumulated 5,200 runs and 383 wickets in 102 Tests, while former New Zealand captain Vettori ended with 4,531 runs and 362 wickets from 113 matches.
Jadeja, meanwhile, has reached 4,108 runs and 350 wickets in just 90 Tests, making him the only player among the four to achieve the remarkable double before completing 100 Tests.
The milestone further underlines his standing among the most successful left-arm spinners in Test history.
Jadeja is now third on the list of leading wicket-takers among left-arm spinners, behind Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath, who took 433 wickets, and Vettori, who finished with 362.
England’s Derek Underwood and Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam follow with 297 and 271 wickets respectively.
Jadeja’s achievement is a reflection of the extraordinary consistency he has brought to India’s Test side over the past decade.
A dependable lower-order batter and a highly effective left-arm spinner, the 37-year-old has regularly provided India with the balance required to field a strong bowling attack without weakening the batting department.
His ability to contribute in both disciplines has made him one of India’s most valuable Test cricketers,
particularly in home conditions where his accuracy and ability to extract turn have made him a constant threat.
Jadeja’s numbers are equally impressive. Among left-arm spinners with at least 125 Test wickets, only South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj boasts a better strike rate, with Maharaj at 56.4 compared to Jadeja’s 58.1.
What makes Jadeja’s latest milestone particularly significant, however, is the speed with which he has reached it.
Kapil, Botham and Vettori needed more than 100 Tests to cross the 4,000-run and 350-wicket mark. Jadeja has achieved the same feat in just 90 matches.
With the Galle Test still in progress, Jadeja has plenty of opportunity to add to both his run and wicket tallies.