The caption on his Instagram story read, “35th ball in FC cricket,” highlighting the remarkable achievement. The ball also bore the figures of his exceptional spell: 5/66.

Jadeja’s stellar performance on Day 1 ensured Saurashtra gained a crucial upper hand. His precise and disciplined bowling helped dismantle Delhi’s batting lineup, which crumbled for just 188. Jadeja’s ability to extract turn and bounce from a pitch assisting spinners left the opposition clueless.

Fellow left-arm spinner Dharmendra Jadeja chipped in with three wickets, making it a dominant outing for Saurashtra’s bowling unit.

As Delhi struggled despite the return of their star player Rishabh Pant, captain Ayush Badoni and Yash Dhull showed some resistance. Badoni scored a valiant 60 off 78 balls, featuring five boundaries and two sixes, while Dhull contributed 44 off 76 balls with eight fours.

In response, Saurashtra ended the day at 163 for five, just 26 runs shy of taking a vital first-innings lead. Opener Harvik Desai was the standout performer with the bat, scoring a well-paced 93 off 120 balls, laced with eight boundaries.

The pitch at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot is increasingly favoring spinners, setting the stage for an exciting contest on the second day. With Ravindra Jadeja in sublime form, Saurashtra will be aiming to press home their advantage and secure a commanding lead.

Jadeja top performer among international players

It was a day to forgot for Team India stars during the Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy round on Thursday. Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, made his return to first-class cricket after almost a decade, but failed to make a mark, departing for just 3 off 19 deliveris against Jammu & Kashmir.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who opened with Rohit, could also score only 4, while Shreyas Iyer also faltered with just 12 runs to his name. For Punjab, Shubman Gill, who led the side following his comeback to the team, scored just 4 as the team was bundled for merely 55 runs by Karnataka.