NEW DELHI: Ravindra Jadeja's return to international cricket after a five-month injury lay-off has been phenomenal as the all-rounder has turned out to be a massive headache for the visiting Australian team in the first couple of days of the opening Test in Nagpur.
While on Day 1, Jadeja tormented the Aussie batting order with a fifer, on the second day, the 34-year-old's unbeaten 66 helped India attain a massive 144-run lead.
With figures of 5 for 47 and unbeaten 66 already to his name, Jadeja has turned out to be the game changer for India and has tilted the result in favour of the hosts with his all-round performance.
A fifer on the opening day was followed by a dazzling half-century on Friday as it helped Jadeja surpass legendary Kapil Dev to become India's top all-rounder in terms of most numbers of simultaneous fifer and fifty in a Test.
Kapil Dev previously on four occasions had registered a fifer and a fifty simultaneously in a Test.
Jadeja with his heroic efforts with both bat and bat now leads the charts among the Indians with fifer and a fifty in a Test on 5 occasions.
India ended Day 2 of the first Test in a commanding position, scoring 321 for 7 in reply to Australia's 177.
Along with Jadeja, skipper Rohit Sharma also starred for the hosts on the second day, scoring his ninth Test ton. Rohit was dismissed for 120 by his Aussie counterpart Pat Cummins.
