Ravindra Jadeja’s day out | England vs India, Investec Test

Ravindra Jadeja walked in on the fourth Day of the Lord’s Test with India on 203 for 6, after the wickets of MS Dhoni and Stuart Binny in quick succession. India’s lead was only 179 with hardly any batting to follow. (Also Read: Report: England vs India, 2nd Investec Test - Day 4)

Any other batsman would have looked to settle in, buckle down and steady the innings. But Jadeja had other plans. After scores of 25, 31 and 3 in the series until then, the all-rounder was determined to make a telling contribution with the bat. And he not only chose the right moment but a totally unorthodox way to do it. He hit his way through it and smashed a 57-ball 68 with nine fours. (Also Read: Stats Highlights: England vs India, 2nd Investec Test - Day 4)

Along with an in-form, solid and confident Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52), Jadeja added 99 runs for the eighth wicket and India set England 319 to win. Jadeja was in action soon, coming on to bowl in the seventh over, and got the wicket of Sam Robson off his first ball. It was his day, and he made the most of it.

After the day, Jadeja spoke to BCCI.TV about the riveting day and discussed some unorthodox strategies that were evident on the field. He told us why MS Dhoni stood back to him and explained the meaning of his innovative celebration after getting his fifty.

You went in to bat when the team was in trouble. Yet you went for shots straight away. Reason?

Yesterday when I went back to the hotel in the evening I was thinking about my batting so far. I started thinking how I was going to play today and decided that the best way for me is to play my game. If I play any differently I won’t get runs. So I decided that irrespective of the situation I will back myself and go for my shots. That’s the only way I can score runs. When I went in to bat, the team also needed runs. 

Bhuvi was so solid from the other end. Did that ease the pressure off you?

The good thing about our partnership was that both of us were scoring runs fluently and so we didn’t let them build pressure from one end. Bhuvi is in very good form and all his four innings so far have been very important for the team and personally for him. We hope that he continues to score runs throughout the series.

Having batted with the tail quite a bit now, do you think there has been a vast improvement in the tailenders’ batting?

That’s right. Our bowling coach always encourages our pacers to go and have a batting session in the nets. He makes them face throw-downs for 30-40 minutes each. Duncan Fletcher keeps telling us that the runs scored by No. 9, 10 and 11 are very important in all the formats, and we have seen it so far in this series. 

What was the meaning of the celebration? MS was doing the same in dressing room.

It has got to do with a tradition that we have among the Rajpoots. During festivals and special occasions, we have professional sword-fighters perform with a sword in each hand, moving them in that fashion. It’s called ‘talwaar baazi’. I only had one bat with me so I did it with one hand. I wanted to have a different celebration and so I had decided whenever I get a fifty, I will do that. MS bhai must have seen it and realized what I was doing. So, he was mimicking me.

While bowling, you changed your end a couple of times. What was the reason behind that?

I just wanted to try out the two ends and see from where I got more purchase off the pitch. When Vijay came on to bowl, we wanted him to bowl from the nursery end so he could get the ball to pitch on rough marks against the left-handers and I could do the same from the other end.

You came on to bowl in seventh over. That’s something you do only in the subcontinent.

When I was batting I had the feeling that I would be asked to bowl pretty early. Being a left-hander myself, I knew exactly how the footmarks were affecting me and that’s when I started to make my bowling plans. 

Why was MS Dhoni standing back to you?

It was because of the foot marks, it was very difficult for the left-hander, as the odd ball was taking off, a few kept low and some turned square. We thought it would be a good idea for the keeper to stand back because in case there was a nick, it would be an easy catch for him standing back. And that’s exactly what happened in the second last over but then MS was standing up to the stumps.

What was the target the team had in mind?

We didn’t have a particular number in mind initially but as the day progressed and we saw how the wicket was behaving, we thought anywhere between 250-280 would be a good target to put up a fight. The ball was bouncing awkwardly and spinning enormously and we knew the footmarks would be handy against their six left-handers. 

source: bcci.tv