When Ravindra Jadeja last played a Test match, he bowled a staggering 17 consecutive maiden overs against South Africa in Delhi. After being rested for the first practice game at Warner Park in St. Kitts, he donned the whites again on Thursday and bowled with similar tenacity. On a pitch that had more bounce and carry than the last game, Jadeja claimed three wickets and gave away just 16 runs from his 13 overs.
He bowled nine maiden overs and created tremendous pressure as the West Indies Board President’s XI were bundled out for 180 in 62.4 overs after electing to bat first. In reply, India lost Cheteshwar Pujara right at the end to finish on 93/3 from 25.3 overs. The Indian openers M Vijay 23 (40b 3x4, 1x6) and Shikhar Dhawan 9 (25b, 2x4) were dismissed in the space of nine balls, but Pujara and KL Rahul put on an entertaining 59-run stand for the second wicket.
Earlier, after taking three wickets in the first session, India took five wickets in the second session as India’s spin trio – R Ashwin, Jadeja and Amit Mishra dominated the proceedings. The three tweakers shared eight wickets between them with Shardul Thakur and Stuart Binny picking one each. Binny bowled a nagging line, conceding just eight runs from his five overs.
After the day’s play, Jadeja said he felt he was settling into a rhythm of bowling long spells in challenging conditions during the four-match Test series. “We are playing the longer format after a long time and match fitness is important. I am working towards bowling 15-20 overs in a day. The way I bowled, I felt like I am building towards it and getting back to it. The wicket was turning and it had bounce too, so I was bowling as per my line and length.”
The left-arm all-rounder said the key for the upcoming Test series would be to be mentally prepared for the challenges. “Mentally you have to be prepared for hot and humid conditions. Opposition batsmen building a long partnership is also a possibility. We bowled as a unit didn’t give away too many runs, which has been our focus.”
With India winning their last away series in Sri Lanka (2-1) and continuing their winning run in the Freedom Trophy against South Africa (3-0) Jadeja asserted the goal is to win the Test series against West Indies. “Now both in Test and One-day cricket the performance is measured on the basis of your show overseas. Our focus will be to win the series. Whenever we do well, people say we always win in India. This is an away series and we want to change that thinking. This is an away series and we want to win. The fitness level of this team is high and everyone has prepared well. We had a camp in Bengaluru and are now getting used to the conditions here in the Caribbean.”
With spinners expected to play a major role during the Test series, Jadeja, known for his ability to bowl consistent lines has been advised to stick to his strength by Head Coach Anil Kumble. “He has told me to work on my strengths and has told me about these conditions. He told me to not lose focus during long partnerships and work harder and push harder. To look more energetic and be ready to bowl long spells of 12-15 overs. I am used to bowling long spells in the Ranji Trophy and I will look to do that.”
Jadeja added that he relished bowling in tandem with Ashwin and Mishra as all of them have different styles and bring variety. “All three of us have different styles and all three of us have different bowling speeds. So that is a very good thing. Our variations are very good and it is not easy for the batsmen to judge us as they have to play us in three different ways. In conditions where the balls spin, our variations will make it difficult for West Indies batsmen. I don’t know about the team combination but we are looking to work as a unit.”
