'Over the moon for my favourite cricketer': Sanjay Manjrekar lauds Ravindra Jadeja after five-wicket haul

NEW DELHI: Former player Sanjay Manjrekar on Friday praised India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for his outstanding five-wicket haul on Day 1 of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.

Jadeja showcased exceptional skill and resilience on the first day of the Test, playing a key role in dismissing New Zealand for 235 runs. His stellar performance featured his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket .

Once terming Jadeja as a "bits-and-pieces" player, Manjrekar took to the social media platform to express his admiration for his performance.

“Over the moon for my favourite cricketer, Jadeja. A fifer! He needed that! And so did the team," Manjrekar posted on X.

Over the moon for my favourite cricketer, Jadeja. ☺️
A fifer! He needed that! And so did the team. 👏👏👏

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 1, 2024

Jadeja's afternoon was particularly momentous, not only for his five-wicket haul but also for surpassing two Indian legends, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma , to become India’s fifth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

This latest feat places him just behind four other Indian greats on the all-time list: Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, R Ashwin, and Harbhajan Singh .

Bowling brilliance ✨

Recap Ravindra Jadeja's skilful five-wicket haul in Mumbai 🎥🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @imjadeja https://t.co/gQIWktNswi

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2024

With 314 Test wickets, Jadeja is now closing in on Harbhajan Singh's tally of 417, bringing him closer to cementing his place among India’s most iconic bowlers in Test cricket history.