Kerala just notched up an absolute *monster* innings win over Odisha on Wednesday afternoon at Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, bagging seven vital points on their home turf. They wrapped up Odisha’s innings for just 143 runs, securing an innings and 36-run victory. And at the absolute heart of that dominant performance was veteran off-spinner Jalaj Saxena, who spun a web around Odisha, finishing with incredible figures of 5/34 from 18 overs.
This Guy’s a Legend, And He Doesn’t Even Know It
Seriously, five wickets for just 34 runs? That’s the kind of performance that drops jaws, but get this: that was Jalaj’s 35th five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy! That’s a phenomenal number, placing him level with the great Bishan Singh Bedi for the joint fifth-most five-fors in the tournament’s entire history. Odisha became the 20th Ranji team he’s absolutely carved up with a five-wicket haul. But ask the man himself about breaking records, and he just shrugs. “I didn’t know about equalling Bishan paaji,” he said. He even asked, “Who is the bowler with the highest five-fors? Is it Rajinder Goel?” He was right, by the way. Rajinder Goel holds the all-time record with 59 five-fors. Talk about humble!
Age is Just a Number When You Love The Game
You know what fuels that kind of success? Just pure, unadulterated love for the game. Jalaj said it himself, “I just love the feeling of putting on the whites and playing for four days.” This isn’t some flash-in-the-pan performance. He worked tirelessly in the offseason, strengthening his back and core to build the stamina needed for those long, grinding spells. The plan against Odisha was deceptively simple: “land the ball in the right areas.” Odisha was already on the backfoot, four wickets down going into the final day, and Jalaj just executed. Like a true leader, he’s crediting the whole squad, too. “It is a team effort,” he insisted, highlighting the platform set by centuries from Sachin Baby and Mohammed Azharuddeen. At 39, an age when many players are thinking about retirement, Jalaj is still hungry, still looking to climb higher. He’s got long-term goals, aspiring to play in the IPL and represent India, and that fire is infectious. He’s even mentoring younger off-spinner Vaisakh Chandran, who just came back to first-class cricket. Jalaj loves bowling in tandem with Vaisakh, calling him a “talented off-spinner and a keen learner.”
What a moment for Kerala, with this win being a perfect Dussehra gift. Next up for them? Bengal. Jalaj is focused, saying they’re “taking it one game at a time. Not looking too far ahead.” That’s the mindset you love to see!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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