India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is one of the fittest cricketers going around in the world today. Cricket fraternity is not only impressed with his batting and bowling but also awestruck with his amazing fielding skills.
From taking difficult catches effortlessly to producing direct hits from unbelievable angles, Jadeja’s fielding skills are an asset for Team India.
Speaking on Jadeja’s fielding skills, former India fielding coach R Sridhar on Saturday (June 2) revealed that he has never coached the all-rounder.
Calling him unbelievable on the field, Sridhar further said Jadeja, just like MS Dhoni, doesn't need to go through the fielding drills before taking the field in competitive action.
"Never coached him. Never coached him," Sridhar told Sony Sports during the Tea break on Day 2 of the rescheduled 5th Test between England and India at Edgbaston.
"Just listened to him, and ask a few questions. ‘What do you think is a good thing, what should we be doing here?’ and all that. It’s unbelievable what he does on the field. It’s like the MS Dhoni of wicketkeeping. You don’t go and see MS Dhoni actually doing too many wicketkeeping drills, he has played so many games," he added.
"Similarly, with Jaddu, just a bit of warm-up before the match to get his shoulders moving but it’s never been ‘okay let’s practice direct hits today, let’s practice borderline catching today, let’s practice diving at a backward point today’. No.
"He has got this unique ball sense. He is an unbelievable athlete. Fielding is something that comes to him as a fish takes to water," he explained.
Notably, Ravindra Jadeja completed his century on Day 2 of the ongoing rescheduled Test against England. The southpaw was unbeaten on 83 at the close of play on Day 1 and he hardly took any time to notch up his ton on the second day. It was his third hundred in the longest format of the game.
Jadeja was involved in a 222-run partnership for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who slammed 146, propelling the visitors to a massive first-innings total of 416.
