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New Delhi: The golden era of cricket was dominated by fast bowlers and aggressive batting all-rounders like Imran Khan Kapil Dev Richard Hadley and Ian Botham. These were not just great players but symbols of the vibrancy of the 1980s. Imran and Kapil became symbols of the rise of their countries. Jadejas changed aura Ravindra Jadeja may not be in the category of great players but it is time to count him as one of the finest all-rounders in cricket. Not just for the stats but also for his brilliant game and colourful personality. He was initially seen as a left-arm spinner who could spin the bat in the lower order. But he later established himself as a solid batsman and dependable bowler. Great performance over the last seven years In 48 Test matches played since January 2018 Jadeja scored 2521 runs at an average of 42 and took 161 wickets at an average of 26.16. His figures in this period are better than Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (30.75 and 29.62) and England’s Ben Stokes (34.85 and 30.61). In terms of batting average and bowling average difference Jadeja’s performance is similar to the top players. Better difference than Kapil Botham and Hadley Only 11 players have crossed the 3000 runs and 300 wickets mark. Many of these players have achieved this feat at the expense of longevity but Jadeja’s contribution has been with technical robustness. Jadeja’s batting and bowling average difference is 12.03 the best after Imran Khan (14.88). Ian Botham (5.14) Kapil Dev (1.83) and Hadley (4.86) are behind in this regard. Indias biggest all-rounder after Kapil Though Jadeja’s stats are better than Kapil Dev’s Kapil Dev’s impact was far greater. A fast bowling all-rounder is in high demand in India but a spin all-rounder can prove equally useful to the team. Even though Jadeja has taken most of his wickets in India (238 out of 326) his performances in countries like Australia South Africa and Sri Lanka have been far better than average. He has also left an impact in England.