On Day 1 of the Boxing Day test between India and Australia, the touring team avoided what could have turned out to be serious injuries for Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill as they both nearly collided with each other in an attempt to catch the ball. The incident took place in Australia’s thirteenth inning. The opening batter, Matthew Wade, came down the wicket to R Ashwin and overcame the spinning wheel in midair.
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As the ball continued to go down, Jadeja in the middle of the wicket and Gill in the middle tried to take the catch. With both fielders converging and getting dangerously close to each other, it was Jadeja who stole the fielding honors and avoided what could have been a nasty blow to Gill. Before the start of the game on Day 2, Jadeja revealed how he prevented him and the rookie from having a potential collision.
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“I didn’t know that Shubman was also running for the ball, suddenly his hands came up to my eyes and I was like oops,” Jadeja said in an interview broadcast by Sony Sports Network. “I asked him why he was running for the ball. He said he didn’t hear my call because he was a bit tense while making his debut. As a hitter, he’s very calm, he has good technique. He was a little nervous at first and then he calmed down. “
Fortunately, neither player was hurt, as it turned out that Jadeja and Gill would produce a major performance for India. Gill looked like a million dollars while hitting, not missing 28 when the stumps were removed. The youngster, who made his test debut, finally scored 45 of 65 balls with eight fours before beating Pat Cummins over Tim Paine.
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Later, as the Indian innings progressed, Jadeja became a vital partner to captain Ajinkya Rahane as the two added an undefeated 104-run partnership for India’s sixth field. Substitute captain Rahane was the star of the day, hitting a 12th test ton, but Jadeja deserves equal credit for providing his captain with capable support as the off-roader’s hitting actions continue to show upward movement on the chart.
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