The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday (March 7) nominated India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for the player of the month award for February.
Apart from Jadeja, England batter Harry Brook and West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie have also been shortlisted for the month of February in the men's category.
On his return to international cricket after a lengthy injury hiatus, Jadeja delivered back-to-back match-winning performances for his team in the first two Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests against Australia.
Jadeja starred with both bat and ball in India’s innings and 132-run victory in the series opener in Nagpur. While the southpaw scored 70 in India’s only innings, he returned with seven scalps in the match, including a five-wicket haul in Australia’s first essay.
Ravindra Jadeja continued his brilliance in the second Test in Delhi. He got the crucial wicket of Australia's top-scorer Usman Khawaja on the way to 3/68 in the first innings. The all-rounder came good with the bat as well, scoring a crucial 26 in an important 59-run stand for the fifth wicket. His best, however, came in Australia’s second innings as he claimed seven scalps to script the home team’s six-wicket victory.
Talking about Harry Brook, the young English batter took his Test career to greater heights in February, scoring two fifties and a hundred against New Zealand.
In the first Test at Mount Maunganui, Brook slammed half-centuries in both innings. Coming in at No. 5 in the first innings, Brook scored a swashbuckling 89 off 81 balls with 15 fours and a six.
In the second dig, the right-hander smashed 54 off 41 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes. He was awarded the Player of the Match award for his efforts in an emphatic England win.
While England agonizingly lost the second Test in Wellington by one-run, Brook smashed a career-best 186 from 176 balls in the first innings. His dazzling century was studded with 24 fours and five sixes. The Yorkshire batter was unfortunate to get a diamond duck during the second innings. Still, his efforts saw him earn the Player of the Series award.
Gudakesh Motie impressed one and all with his performances during the West Indies tour of Zimbabwe in February.
Motie picked 19 wickets in the two-Test series to help his side secure a 1-0 series win. In the first Test at Bulawayo, the left-arm spinner had an ordinary start taking 2/110 in the first innings. However, the Motie magic started in the second innings and the spinner didn't look back after that. Motie picked 4/50 from his 24 overs as Zimbabwe had to fight out to earn a draw.
In the second Test at the same venue, Motie was in top form. Zimbabwe batters had no answer to his turn and guile, as the Guyana player picked 13/99 in an innings victory for his team. His performance won him both Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards.
(With ANI Inputs)
