Former India all-rounder Ajay Jadeja was in the news for all the wrong reasons after he compared the cricket pitches to wives. Jadeja had made the remarks while speaking on Ten Sports' show "Dressing Room", leaving the anchor and his fellow panelists Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Nikhil Chopra in splits. However, Jadeja was criticised by fans for his remarks on-air. "Yaha pe saare shaadi shuda hai. Toh pitch report waise hi hai. Aap dekhte ek cheez hai. Jab aap khelna shuru karte ho toh pata chalta hai (Everyone here is married. So the pitch report is like that only. You see one thing but you only get to know when you start playing)," said Jadeja.
Recently, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar appeared on the same show, asking Jadeja about his viral remarks.
Responding to Gavaskar's query, Jadeja clarified: "So, we were discussing about the pitch. While explaining about the pitch, we started discussing how a hover cover is similar to the relatives going to set up an arrange marriage. You get married after one inspection. It's the case for both men and women. That day we jokingly explained it terms of women but you can say for the husband as well."
However, Gavaskar was left amused by the explanation and he decided to come up with a witty remark of his own.
"There are results after the five day Test. What are the results you are talking about in this case? Is it a tie?" Gavaskar quipped.
After Afghanistan beat England in the Champions Trophy, Jadeja explained why their win shouldn't be considered as a 'one off'.
"Absolutely," answered Akram. "The way they won that game against England... Ibrahim Zadran played so well after they lost early wickets and then to defend 320 with a wet ball was commendable. The ball was literally wet because of the dew. That will give them a lot of confidence. Yeah, Australia can make it one-sided, but if Afghanistan are on song, then they can beat any team in the world."
In front of some of the greats from across the border, Jadeja decided to remind them that Afghanistan have won more matches in ICC events than Pakistan.
"They have won more games than your team, my friend, in ICC events. Anybody who thinks it's a one-off thing is fooling themselves," Jadeja said.
Jadeja was part of Afghanistan's coaching staff when they scripted a memorable run in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He has himself has seen Afghanistan make significant forward strides in the game. It's the team's belief that has impressed the former India star the most.
"Now they believe they can get out of any situation. When you win close games, then it's all about belief. That they have shown in this tournament," he said.