"No one can snatch that strength from him" - Aakash Chopra lauds Ravindra Jadeja's spell in IND vs SA 2025 1st Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Ravindra Jadeja for delivering a potent spell in South Africa's second innings of the first Test. He noted that Jadeja's natural pace was ideal for the Eden Gardens pitch, a strength that paid the left-arm spinner rich dividends.

Jadeja registered figures of 4/29 in 13 overs as South Africa ended Day 2 (Saturday, November 15) in Kolkata at 93/7 in their second innings. The visitors have a lead of 63 runs, having bowled India out for 189, in response to their 159-run first-innings score, earlier in the day.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Chopra noted that Jadeja's biggest strength on the Eden Gardens surface was his natural pace, an attribute no one can take away from the spin-bowling all-rounder.

"You are seeing variation in speed and angles and he has started to think about wickets, but there is one more thing that has been his strength, and no one can snatch that strength from him. There is an optimal pace to bowl the best on every pitch. If that optimal pace is your natural pace, you don't compromise your accuracy to bowl at that pace," he said.

The former India opener added that Kuldeep Yadav couldn't have been as effective as Jadeja for long periods on the Eden Gardens pitch, highlighting that the latter was virtually unplayable.

"You can bowl long spells without changing anything. If you ask Kuldeep to bowl quicker on a slow pitch, he might be able to do that for some time, but after that, if he tries to bowl fast, he will either bowl full or short, and the same penetration won't remain. The pace and accuracy Jaddu has, he is an unplayable bowler on this surface," Chopra observed.

Ravindra Jadeja went wicketless in eight overs in South Africa's first innings. However, he has bowled the most overs among all Indian bowlers in the Proteas' second innings and has been the most successful.

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"A different Ravindra Jadeja was seen from the first over itself" - Cheteshwar Pujara on spinner's spell in IND vs SA 2025 1st Test

Ravindra Jadeja was the fourth bowler introduced in South Africa's second innings. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara praised Ravindra Jadeja for bowling an impeccable line and length in South Africa's second innings.

"A different Ravindra Jadeja was seen from the first over itself. When he got his first wicket, he got the confidence and figured out that he would keep getting wickets if he kept bowling that line and length. So he didn't complicate it too much. He kept bowling at one spot," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Jadeja's persistent line and length forced the South African batters to commit mistakes by pushing them on the back foot.

"He bowled according to his strengths. The South African batters were getting slightly stuck on the back foot against the line and speed Jadeja was bowling. The credit goes to Jadeja because he persisted on the same line and length as the ball was hitting the stumps if the batter made a mistake," Pujara observed.

Ravindra Jadeja has dismissed Aiden Markram (4 off 23), Wiaan Mulder (11 off 30), Tony de Zorzi (2 off 2) and Tristan Stubbs (5 off 18) in South Africa's second innings. Kuldeep Yadav (2/12 in five overs) and Axar Patel (1/30 in 11 overs) were the other successful Indian bowlers on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer