On day two of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka, in Mohali, Ravindra Jadeja had batted for 324 minutes, made an unbeaten 175, helped India amass a total of 574/8 in its first innings, putting up a 100-run partnership with Mohammed Shami when India declared.
The murmurs had begun inevitably about Jadeja being stopped short of completing a double century. Was this a repeat of Multan 2004, when Rahul Dravid was the decision maker, just like now. But Jadeja nipped the impending controversy in the bud when he clarified that it was as much his decision as the team management's to declare at that juncture.
Speaking to the media post the day's game, Jadeja said, "I also told them (Indian team management) that there is variable bounce and deliveries have started turning. So, I sent a message that there is something on offer from the strip and I suggested that we should put Sri Lanka in to bat now itself as they are already tired after fielding for nearly two days. It is not easy to play the big shots straightaway and bat for long hours. So, the plan was to declare quickly and exploit the fatigue of the opposition batters."
In 43 innings, he has crossed 50 on 14 occasions - once every 3.07 innings on average while batting with the lower order. Having steered India to a strong position with the bat, Jadeja then added to Lankan woes by taking the wicket of skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.
"I used to bat at No. 4 for Saurashtra. So, I had a lot of time to build my innings but here I bat No. 7 but Rishabh, Ashwin and Shami supported me. As a batter, I give myself time and select my shot after analysing the behaviour of the strip."
He also said that the key to his consistently good performances with the bat in Tests is that he tries to approach his batting with a calm mind. "The mindset needs to change in international cricket and I try to stay calm in pressure situations so that I can maximise my ability and play my natural game.''
Talking about Shane Warne's untimely demise yesterday, Jadeja, who was part of the Rajasthan Royals team that was captained and mentored by the Aussie spin legend, said, "It was a shocking news. The moment I heard it, I was so sad that I fell unwell. I found it difficult to believe that this could be true. When I first met him in 2008, he was already a legend and I couldn’t believe that I would be playing alongside a player of Shane Warne’s stature. I was just coming out of our U-19s and to share the dressing room with Warne was a huge thing for a youngster like me. He gave me a huge platform and post U-19, it was a direct entry into the IPL. His death shows that there are no certainties in life. Anything can happen anytime. I pray to Almighty that his soul rests in peace."
