All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja pulled off a remarkable performance with the ball as well as the willow to earn rich praise from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, even though he couldn't save India from a chastening 18-run defeat to New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford on Wednesday (July 10).
Jadeja bowled a fine spell of 1/34 to help the team restrict the Kiwis to 239/8 in 50 overs before he struck a magnificent 59-ball 70 that eventually went in vain as India got bundled out for 221 in 49.3 overs.
"He was brilliant. This morning when he got Ross Taylor run out with that direct throw, we in the commentary box were discussing that it could be his day. The way he took initiative in that partnership (with Dhoni), he caught New Zealand by surprise, caught them off guard," Tendulkar told India Today.
"There were number of clean shots by him, which were from a batsman who was out there to do something and prove something. I would give him 10 on 10 today."
"At this world stage who wouldn't want to go out and perform well. You could see that determination and that hunger to do something was special and very much there. It was amazing to watch both of them, the way they ran between the wickets. That understanding was very much there because they play together in the IPL as well."
Jadeja, coming into bat at 92/6, helped India resurrect its innings via a steady 116-run partnership with great MS Dhoni, who made 50 off 72 balls himself. The Southpaw's innings was glint with four fours and four sixes.
"The sound that his bat was making was something different. You could hear that. With Dhoni's guidance and experience he created that impact but unfortunately it wasn't enough to finish the game. But in a convincing manner that Jadeja took charge, he was the aggressor today. He was hitting those big shots and rightly so."
"I felt that really worked well. One person was an aggressor and the other one was an experience campaigner. I felt MS (Dhoni) was going to attack in the last 3 overs. Because it also became important for someone to be there till the end. But possibly the boundaries could have come a bit earlier. But in retrospect you have number of things to say," Tendulkar concluded.
