Ravindra Jadeja was in the center of attention (quite literally) on day two of the Edgbaston Test when on-field umpires had a word with him for running through the middle of the pitch. This wasn't the first time Jadeja was involved in an incident like this.
India had hosted 13 Test matches in 1979/80, setting a world record. In 2016/17, they equalled that feat, against New Zealand (three Tests), England (five), Bangladesh (one), and Australia (four).
Indore was one of several new Test centres used in that season, hosting a game against New Zealand. There, in the first innings, Virat Kohli made 211 after winning the toss and opting to bat. He added 365 – still an Indian record – for the fourth wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (188). Jadeja joined Rohit Sharma at 504-5, and both batters scored rapidly with an eye on the declaration.
The incident
In the final hour of the second day, Rohit took a single off the first ball of the 165th over to take the score to 530-5. After Jadeja played out the next ball, from Matt Henry, umpire Kumar Dharmasena warned him for running on the danger area. Shortly afterwards, R Ashwin took his pads off in the pavilion, and substitute fielder Karun Nair sprinted with a message. Declaration was imminent.
Then, in the 168th over, Jadeja chopped Trent Boult away for two runs. A ball later, Bruce Oxenford issued Jadeja a second warning for the same offence. As per the Playing Conditions, five penalty runs were added to New Zealand’s tally, much to Jadeja’s chagrin.
The aftermath
Rohit went berserk in the next over to reach his fifty. Kohli declared immediately afterwards, at 557-6. When New Zealand openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham walked out, their score read 5-0 even before Mohammed Shami bowled the first ball.
It did not matter, of course. Guptill (72) and Latham (53) put on 118 (113 of which were scored in their presence at the crease), but they soon slipped to 148-5 and were bowled out for 299 as Ashwin claimed 6-81. India then rode on Cheteshwar Pujara’s 101 not out to declare on 216-3. This time Ashwin took 7-59 to help India win by 321 runs and complete a 3-0 sweep.
After the Test match, Jadeja was fined 50 per cent of his match fees and handed out three demerit points for “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match”.
A forgotten comeback
The Test marked Gautam Gambhir’s return to Test cricket after two years. Opening batting with Murali Vijay, he made 29 and 50. Retained for the first Test of the England series, at Rajkot, he made 29 and 0, and never played Test cricket again.
