When I was at NCA, I was bowling 10-12 hours everyday: Ravindra Jadeja

The much-awaited four-match Test series between India and Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy kicked off in stunning fashion on 9 February at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Australia chose to bat first after winning a key toss. Ravindra Jadeja returned to the Indian team after six months post his rehab from a knee injury.

After a solid and fluent 82-run partnership between Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith, Jadeja started spinning a web around the Australian batters. When Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja started to pick wickets at regular intervals, Australia crumbled with a mediocre total of 177. In order to put India in the driver's seat, Jadeja took crucial wickets of Labuschagne, Smith, and Handscomb. He completed his fifer on his comeback from injury and played a major role in bowling the opposition out.

Playing after five months, playing Test cricket, it’s tough: Ravindra Jadeja

After the end of the day's play, Jadeja spoke to the media and discussed how he had prepared for the game. He said, “Playing after 5 months, playing Test cricket, it’s tough. I was prepared for it and I was working hard on my fitness as well as on my skills at NCA. I played a first-class game (Ranji) after a long time and I bowled almost 42 overs. It gave me a lot of confidence to come here and play a Test match."

The Indian All-rounder then spoke about his time at the NCA and how it was helpful in his comeback. He said, “I was working hard on my bowling when I was in Bangalore at the NCA. I was bowling 10-12 hours everyday and that helped me a lot. I was working on my rhythm because I knew that I have to play Test match and I have to bowl long spells.”

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store