'Stats can be misleading': Gautam Gambhir feels Ravindra Jadeja's 175 not the best knock of his Test career

Ravindra Jadeja was the hero of India's thumping win over Sri Lanka in the recently-concluded first Test of the ongoing two-match series between the two sides. Jadeja slammed an unbeaten 175 and picked up a total of nine wickets in the game as India thrashed Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs to go 1-0 up in the series.

Jadeja, who recently made his comeback from injury, looked in splendid touch and took the Sri Lankan bowlers to the cleaners during his brilliant knock. He looked well on course to slam his maiden double hundred in Test cricket before India decided to declare their first innings on 574/8 as Jadeja fell just 25 runs short of his double ton.

Nonetheless, his magnificent all-round show helped India outclass Sri Lanka by an innings to script a comprehensive win. While many lauded Jadeja for his fabulous knock of unbeaten 175, former India opener Gautam Gambhir was asked if it is the best knock the India all-rounder has played so far in his Test career.

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While stating that 'stats can be misleading', Gambhir said he doesn't feel Jadeja's 175 not out is the best knock he has played in his career so far. Gambhir believes the star all-rounder's crucial half-centuries and other important knocks overseas would have made him more confident.

"I don't think so. I feel the innings Ravindra Jadeja played in Australia or the knocks he has played outside India, he will get more confidence from that. Stats can be very misleading," Gambhir explained.

"There was a time after the century where he was just milking - Dhananjaya de Silva, Asalanka and Embuldeniya were bowling but if you talk about Australia or England, the 40 or 50-run contributions there are probably much more important than this innings," added the former India opener.

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Jadeja had a terrific outing in the Test match as he went on to break the legendary Kapil Dev's record for the highest individual score by an Indian batter in Tests while batting at number seven or below. He then went on to join the likes of Gary Sobers and Polly Umrigar in an elite list with his five wicket-haul in Sri Lanka's first innings.

Jadeja became only the sixth player in the world to achieve the feat of scoring 150-plus runs and taking a five-wicket haul in the same Test match.