Dhama, as he is fondly referred to by teammates, is leading the Elite Group A and B bowling charts, comprising 18 teams, with 32 wickets in six matches
Saurashtra's Dharmendrasinh Jadeja at the Wankhede nets yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Ravindra Jadeja has only played one Ranji Trophy match this season but table-toppers Saurashtra have not missed his services too much. That's because while one Jadeja is Down Under with Team India, there's another - Dharmendrasinh, 28 - ensuring Saurashtra are not robbed of some exceptional left-arm spin bowling.
Dhama, as he is fondly referred to by teammates, is leading the Elite Group A and B bowling charts, comprising 18 teams, with 32 wickets in six matches. It's no wonder then that Saurashtra rely heavily on Dharmendrasinh in the absence of their senior spinner. "In our team, they say that we have another Jadeja to do the job of the first Jadeja. It's really satisfying that my team relies on me to do the job which Ravindra bhai normally does. I try to give my best all the time.
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As Ravindra bhai is not around, I try to emulate him with the ball and bat for our team," Dharmensdrasinh, who made his first-class debut in the 2012-13 season against Madhya Pradesh, told mid-day yesterday.
Dharmensdrasinh draws a lot of inspiration from the India spinner. "I admire his skills... the way he bowls. One thing I have learnt from him is to consistently bowl in one spot as that forces the batsmen to make mistakes. Ravindra bhai's attitude - he is always ready to contribute in all departments for the team - inspires me," said Dharmensdrasinh, who interestingly began as a chinaman bowler.
"When I started off, in tennis ball cricket, I was a fast bowler. When I began playing with the leather ball, I was a chinaman. I didn't even know what it meant then. It just came naturally to me," said Dharmendrasinh.
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