Ravindra Jadeja's presence on field adds a different dimension to the side and that is exactly what he showed on Sunday once again when he pulled off a sensational catch off Mohammed Shami's bowling. Jadeja took a flying reverse cup catch to end Neil Wagner's stay at the crease and break a gritty ninth wicket stand in Christchurch.
It was short ball from Wagner at 140 clicks outside off and Wagner pulled it despite getting rushed on by the ball. The ball skewed off the splice of the bat and Jadeja jumped in thin air and pulled off a miracle running back catch from square leg. He leapt as high as he could have, stretched as far as he could have and put his left hand up and it somehow stuck reverse cup and it definitely is the catch of the year so far. Shami couldn't belief it and perhaps Jadeja himself couldn't as well as he looked a bit surprised.
Jadeja's catch ended Wagner's stay at the crease as he and Kyle Jamieson looked all set to take NZ's lead past India's first innings score of 242 at the Hagley Oval. Wager's wicket also resulted in Jamieson's soon after as he skied another bouncer from Shami, which was taken by Rishabh Pant as India got a lead of 7 runs.
However, Wagner's catch was not the only piece of brilliance from Jaddu. He took another diving catch of BJ Watling off Jasprit Bumrah right after lunch. Watling went for a square drive and the ball went flying to Jadeja, who took a beautiful low catch to send him packing at point.
Jadeja also bowled a peach of a delivery to get rid of Colin de Grandhomme. Coming round the wicket, he bowled one angling in and De Grandhomme played through the line but the ball straightened a tad bit and hit the top off the off-stump to get rid of the all-rounder.
The souhtpaw ended with figures of 2/22 from his 10 overs.
