'Hopefully I am good to go' - Ravindra Jadeja gears up for Australia series after stellar Ranji Trophy return

Team India received a massive boost in their preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy after mercurial all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made a stellar return to cricket on Thursday, January 26. Jadeja grabbed a fabulous seven-for in the second innings of Saurashtra's match against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy.

The Indian star, who has been out of action since September last year after sustaining a knee injury in the Asia Cup, recovered earlier this month and decided to play in the Ranji Trophy to test his fitness levels ahead of the all-important Test series against the Aussies next month.

Although Jadeja was named in the squad for the opening two Tests against the Baggy Greens, there were question marks regarding his fitness since he was on the sidelines for a lengthy spell. However, the left-arm spinner spoke about his fitness after bowling nearly 42 overs in the match.

"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 odd ball was spinning, and the odd ball 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.

It was tough on the first day but as the game progressed, I was feeling good: Jadeja

The Saurashtra man has been an integral part of the Indian team, especially the red-ball side due to consistent performances with both bat and ball. It is imperative for the Asian outfit that he gets up and running for the upcoming Test series with a place in the WTC final up for grabs. Jadeja, who acknowledged being low on confidence before his return to action, was pleased with his performance against Tamil Nadu.

"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.

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