Ravindra Jadeja made a tremendous return to the Indian Test side after an extended injury absence. His comeback figures of 5 for 47 enabled India to seize the advantage in the opening Test against Australia in Nagpur. The last time Jadeja had donned the India jersey was in August last year for a T20I versus Hong Kong in the Asia Cup, and then his road back to competitive cricket became a long one as he had to undergo knee surgery. On Thursday, Jadeja’s 11th five-wicket haul in Tests, fourth of it against Australia, saw him reign supreme on the field.
On the first day of the match, there were indications that spin bowlers would be helpful as Australia were dismissed for 177 runs and India ended the day at 77/1. Ravindra Jadeja was the mastermind behind India’s bowling attack, taking five wickets and earning his 11th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. At the end of the day, the all-rounder reflected on his performance and the effort he put in at the National Cricket Academy.
“There was no bounce on the pitch, I was targeting the wicket-to-wicket line. The odd ball was spinning and the odd ball was going straight. Being a left-arm spinner, if you get a batter stumped or out caught behind, you always give credit to the ball. In Test cricket, whatever wicket you take, you are happy with that. I was working hard on my bowling when I was in Bangalore at the NCA. I was bowling 10-12 hours every day and that helped me a lot,” Jadeja said.
Ravindra Jadeja faced numerous challenges over the past 5 months, but he persevered and gave his all during the intense training period leading up to one of the biggest Test series in recent years. Despite this, he put on a stellar performance, showcasing India’s dominance on the home front. The success of the Indian spinners, including Jadeja and Ashwin, cannot be attributed to the pitch alone, as there was no evidence of any advantageous conditions. Rather, it was their determination and exceptional skill that led to their impressive results.
