“These days, there is more cricket. That works on your mind. Such is my cricket that I cannot hide on the field. Whatever the format, I’m in the hotspot
Ravindra Jadeja
Even if India are to do without Virat Kohli for the entire series, and KL Rahul, who is still not 100 per cent match fit, the good news for Rohit Sharma & Co is that Ravindra Jadeja is back in the side, fully recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
Jadeja fills two positions in the side, that of a regular batsman and a premier spin bowler. He top-scored for India in the first innings of the first Test with 87 and also took five wickets. Fully geared up to play his third Test at his home ground, the Niranjan Shah Stadium (formerly Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium), the 35-year-old all-rounder said injuries are part of the game.
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‘Injuries can always return’
“These days, there is more cricket. That works on your mind. Such is my cricket that I cannot hide on the field. Whatever the format, I’m in the hotspot. The team expect me to pull out a good catch or effect a run out. I’m happy, but I need to work smartly with my body. There is no guarantee that I won’t get injured again. I play tomorrow and the injury can return. As the match starts, you go with the flow and tend to forget about injuries. The excitement is the same. It is the same pride with which I play, try to give 100 per cent and protect my body. And, when not required, don’t dive,” Jadeja said.
Jadeja did his best to contain the Englishmen, who are playing an attacking style of cricket under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. “As a team, if somebody is trying to play differently, you tend to start thinking where to bowl or how to bowl. As a bowler, I try to keep it simple, not do anything different. Let them play a different style of cricket and we’ll stick to our basic plans that we’ve been doing for so many years,” said Jadeja.
‘Key is to keep it simple’
“You will be effective if you can keep the line as simple as you can in Test cricket. Batsmen look to play shots. We [bowlers] need to make them commit mistakes to be successful. If we bowl differently after looking at their batting style, we’ll be hit for runs and won’t get wickets,” Jadeja added.
Jadeja, who has 280 wickets in 69 Tests, is excited for his bowling partner Ravichandran Ashwin’s impending 500th wicket. “Obviously, I’m very excited [about Ashwin’s upcoming milestone]. I’ve been playing with him for 12-13 years. To complete 500 Test wickets is a really big thing. I thought he would complete 500 in the first Test itself. But whatever is written in one’s destiny, will happen. Glad that he’ll complete it in my hometown,” Jadeja remarked.
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