Brad Haddin, the former Australian wicket-keeper, recently reminisced about a conversation he had with the star Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja regarding his bowling approach. Jadeja is widely acknowledged as one of the most accurate left-arm spinners in world cricket. Haddin disclosed that whenever Australian spinners talked to Jadeja about his strategies, Jadeja would simply respond by stating his focus on bowling into the stumps, leaving the rest to the pitch.

While speaking to the Willow Talk podcast, Haddin highlighted the intriguing conversations with Jadeja after a Test series, where spinners wanted to know about his bowling techniques. Jadeja’s straightforward response was that he focuses on bowling at the stumps, prompting further inquiries about additional tactics, to which he maintained his simplistic approach.

“Jadeja was always a really interesting one to talk to after a Test series. Because all the spinners would go over and say, ‘What, are you undercutting the ball? Are you going over the top?’. He goes, ‘I just bowl at the stump.’ And you go, ‘Nah nah nah, what else you do?’,” said Haddin on Willow Talk poscast as quoted by Sportskeeda.

“He goes, ‘I bowl at the stump, the wicket will do it. You guys think it’s going to do something.’ ‘What about the straight one?’ He goes, ‘Sometimes it goes straight’,” added Haddin.

Haddin Highlights Batting Challenges Against Jadeja

Haddin highlighted that Jadeja’s approach not only affected the bowlers but also created uncertainty for him as a batter, making it challenging to anticipate which delivery might go straight after pitching.

“And you’re out there batting, you think, ‘Is this the one that goes straight?’. You talk to him afterwards, you go, ‘What did you do with that one?’. He goes, ‘I just put on the stumps, and that was the one that skid.”

In the recently concluded 4th IND vs ENG Test in Ranchi, Ravindra Jadeja claimed five wickets. India secured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series with one match still to go. The fifth and final India vs England Test is scheduled to take place at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala from March 7 to 11.