"He's A Guy In The Field That Can Make Magic Happen": India Coach's Massive Praise For This Star
Ravindra Jadeja is a complete package who can create magic on the field, India's bowling coach Morke Morkel gushed on Monday, extolling the incredible skills of the all-rounder who achieved the double of 300 Test wickets and 3000 runs. Jadeja became the second fastest to achieve the milestone, reaching there in 74 Tests, two more than England great Ian Botham. The 35-year-old entered the 300-wicket club when he dismissed Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud on the fourth day of the rain-hit second Test in Kanpur.
"For me, he's a complete package. You know, he bats, he bowls, he's a guy in the field that can make magic happen. There's always a guy that you want in your team, and he's done that for so many years for India," Morkel said in the post-day press meet.
"To join the 300 club is special. He's a guy that works on his game. That is what you want to see." Over the years, Jadeja has partnered with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to destroy opponents, and Morkel said the pair hardly allows any scoring opportunities for the batters.
"These are guys that don't give you any bad balls. You always (have to) find ways to score. If you face that from both ends, you're going to work hard for your run. And that's why, as a partnership, they've been so successful." A combination of inclement weather and wet outfield had resulted in two full days of inaction, but Morkel said his wards kept themselves ready for action.
"It's never nice losing time and days. I knew the boys sitting around the hotel, that was sort of very frustrating. But the way the guys went off the field, still doing their gym work, looking after their bodies, was impressive to see for me coming into the group.
"We knew, once we get the opportunity, we're always going to