Michael Clarke hails Ravindra Jadeja as the world’s best fielder

There was a time when the Indian team’s fielding wasn’t deemed as one of the best in the world. However, times have changed and the Men in Blue’s fielding has grown leaps and bounds. Their stupendous fielding has also created pressure, keeping the opposition on their toes. One of their best fielders has been Ravindra Jadeja, who’s a great athlete and is an asset on the field.

He hardly drops catches and when the ball is around him, the batsmen become wary before setting off for a run. He has got a strong shoulder and is an excellent fielder, both inside the 30-yard circle and at the boundary ropes. The southpaw always goes for that extra yard to stop that extra run. His throws are also extremely accurate and one can’t afford to take him for granted by any means.

Recently, Michael Clarke, the 2015 Australian World Cup-winning captain, said that Jadeja is presently the best fielder in the world. “I think there’s no one better than him in world cricket, whether saving runs in the outfield or taking a difficult catch or direct hits, he’s just superb,” Clarke was quoted as saying during commentary of the World Cup warm-up match between India and Bangladesh.

Ravindra Jadeja’s road to the World Cup

A year ago, Jadeja wasn’t in contention for a berth in the national squad for the World Cup. He made his comeback in the 2018 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and immediately made an impact. He was Hardik Pandya’s replacement. Thereafter, he kept getting more chances, though he wasn’t a regular fixture of the team.

However, he kept grabbing the limited opportunities he got, scoring runs and picking wickets. Back in the second week of April when the Indian squad for the mega event was announced, the Saurashtra cricketer made the cut.

He was decent in the first warm-up match against New Zealand that India lost by six wickets. Jadeja was India’s top run-scorer with 54 runs. Even against the Tigers, he delivered. The Men in Blue would be hoping for Jadeja to do well in the main round as well.