'Since Kapil Dev, I Haven't Seen A Batsman Open His Arms Like He Did': Ajay Jadeja In Awe Of India's 'Free-Flowing' Batsman

Ajay Jadeja was in awe of the Indian batsman who looked very free-flowing to him and he also compared the all-rounder Shardul Thakur to the legendary Kapil Dev on account of the hitting skills shown during the first innings of the final test. Shardul Thakur was claimed by Ajay Jadeja to be the most effective batsman since Kapil Dev after his maiden fifty on his second test.

Ajay Jadeja Heaps Praise On Shardul Thakur

He also mentioned the way Shardul Thakur has batted in the first innings was way batter than any batsman who had open up their arms in Australia. He was also keen to note that he isn’t comparing Thakur with one of the greats like Kapil Dev.

“More than his bowling, I was more impressed with his batting. When you see an Indian all-rounder, you think about Kapil Dev. I’m not even trying to say that he’s anywhere close to Kapil Dev, but after Kapil Dev, if I’ve seen a batsman open his arms the same way when he’s batting, it’s him (Shardul) – and I’m including all the batsmen that we’ve seen. The free-flowing batting that you saw yesterday, there’s more to it,” Jadeja said on the Extraaa Innings Show on the Sony Sports Network, following the end of play on Day 4.

A Good Contender For The All-Round Spot: Ajay Jadeja

Ajay Jadeja also praised the skills of Shardul Thakur’s batsmanship and all round abilities which might end up bringing him a spot in the XI. “Just see the way he’s batted. The hand is flowing… free-flowing player. The balance is so good. Those are shots that you expect from a batsman and here’s a player that Indian cricket has not even thought of as someone who could chip with both bat and ball,” the former batsman pointed out.”

Shardul Thakur took 7 wickets overall in the two innings and scored a fifty in the match and he should already be a contender for the man of the match with the all-round show he has put up. His efforts in the fielding have also been praised by Ajay Jadeja and he is mentioned to be a good prospect for the future.