Team India’s preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy were greatly aided by the brilliant comeback on January 26 of dynamic all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. In the second innings of Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu, Jadeja had a fantastic seven-for.
The Indian star, who has been sidelined since September of last year after suffering a knee injury in the Asia Cup, returned to action earlier this month and chose to compete in the Ranji Trophy to assess his level of fitness before the crucial Test series against Australia next month. Jadeja was selected for the first two Tests against the Baggy Greens, but there were concerns about his fitness because of his extended absence from the field. However, after delivering over 42 overs in the contest, the left-arm spinner complained about his fitness.
“I [am] used to bowling long spells. Nothing new for me. I was enjoying… the ball was turning. The pitch was assisting me. When we were batting, the oddball was spinning, and the oddball was keeping low, so I was keen to bowl a long spell. Luckily I got wickets. No discomfort… not really, I’m almost there… it is just a matter of a little bit of confidence. Luckily I bowled enough overs in the match, like almost 37 overs in the game,” Jadeja said when asked about his fitness.
The Saurashtra player’s constant efforts with both bat and ball have made him an essential member of the Indian team, particularly the red-ball side. He needs to get going quickly for the forthcoming Test series since a spot in the WTC final is on the line. This is crucial for the Asian team. Jadeja was happy with his performance against Tamil Nadu despite admitting to lacking confidence before his come back to play. “So feeling very good, playing a game after a long time. Hopefully, I am good to go now. It was tough on the first day but as the game progressed, I was feeling good. When you take a five-for in a first-class game it is always good,” he added.