Ravindra Jadeja equals this Test record of Rahul Dravid: Details
What's the story
Ravindra Jadeja, the world's top-ranked Test all-rounder, has achieved a major milestone by winning his 11th Player of the Match (POTM) award. He achieved this feat during India's first Test against the West Indies at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. Jadeja's all-round performance was instrumental in India's victory by an innings and 140 runs within three days of the match.
Match details
Jadeva's all-round performance in 1st Test against West Indies
In the first Test against West Indies, Jadeja scored an unbeaten 104 on Friday. On Saturday, he took four wickets in 13 overs in WI's second innings, giving away just 54 runs. His all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award and helped India take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Record achievement
Jadeja equals Dravid's record for most POTM awards for India
Jadeja's 11th POTM award in 86 Tests puts him on par with former coach Rahul Dravid, who also has 11 such awards. They are now the joint second-most POTM award winners for India in Tests, behind Sachin Tendulkar (14). The all-rounder has surpassed Ravi Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble, who have all received 10 POTM awards each for India.
Post-match comments
Jadeja speaks on red soil pitch after match
In the post-match presentation ceremony, Jadeja said he enjoyed playing on red soil as it was good for batting and bowling. He thanked his coach, captain, management and selectors for their support. "If the wicket is flat, you can score runs. If the ball is turning, then you can enjoy bowling on the red soil," he said.
All-time rankings
Players with most POTM awards in Tests
Jadeja's 11 POTM awards in Tests put him among some of the greatest cricketers in history. The all-time record is held by South Africa's Jacques Kallis, who won 23 POTM awards in his 166 Test matches from 1995 to 2013. He is followed by Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (19) and Australia's Shane Warne and Pakistan's Wasim Akram (17 each).
Stats
Jadeja inches closer to 4,000 Test runs
The one against WI was Jadeja's 15th four-fer in Tests, as per ESPNcricinfo, as he also boasts as many five-wicket hauls. Across 86 Tests, Jadeja has now raced to 334 wickets at an average of 25.07. With the bat, Jadeja has scored 3,990 runs at 38.73. This includes six centuries and 27 fifties. The 36-year-old is now just 10 runs away from becoming the fourth cricketer with the Test double of 4,000 runs and take over 300 wickets.