Follow UsWith Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel in line to make their Test debuts in Rajkot, local boy Ravindra Jadeja believes that everyone coming into the side are seasoned cricketers, who have proved their worth over a long period of time in domestic cricket. He believes making their debut at home would be ideal as compared to doing so in Australia or South Africa.
“All these new boys are coming into the side after playing a lot of first-class cricket. These are seasoned players, they know how to play long innings and have an idea how it goes in Test cricket," Jadeja said ahead of the third Test in Rajkot on Wednesday (February 14)
"Such a time [transition] is inevitable, whether it comes after two years or five, it is good for them that they are getting an opportunity in the home conditions.
“If they are making Test debut in Australia or South Africa, the player also lacks confidence whether they will be able to perform or not. It [India] is an ideal place for them since they have played on such wickets a lot and they have the idea on how the pitch would behave."
Jadeja missed the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to a hamstring injury and said it was frustrating to miss games, but believes he has to play it smart for him to avoid injuries.
“It is frustrating but the cricket has increased these days and that is at the back of the mind always. I can't hide anywhere in the field, I am always on the hotspot in any format and that maybe the reason [for injuries], and the ball comes to me often," the all-rounder said.
“There is an expectation from the team that I take a good catch or field well and that's good. I can work on my body more smartly and do it carefully and hope there will be no problem. But there is no guarantee."
Jadeja also believes England are not a tough team to beat, but India need to plan carefully to couter their aggressive style of play. "I won’t term England as [one of the most difficult] teams. It hasn't been easy for other teams to come to India and win. They have an aggressive style of play. We need to get used to that and plan accordingly for them," said Jadeja on the eve of the game," he said.
“If it wasn't for small mistakes in the second innings of first Test, we wouldn't have lost. It is better to keep the lines as simple as possible in Test cricket because their batters look to play their strokes at every opportunity.
“If we adjust according to that, it is possible that we may end up giving more runs and not get wickets as well. We will keep it simple and let them do whatever they want to, we have our game plan and if we stick to it then there are chances of being successful."
His spin bowling partner for over a decade Ravichandran Ashwin is just one away from claiming his 500th Test scalp.
Speaking of the excitement of that happening in his hometown, Jadeja said, “He will definitely complete his 500 wickets on this ground. I am very excited because I have been playing with him for 12-13 years and to achieve this milestone of completing 500 Test wickets is a really big thing,” Jadeja said.
“I thought he would complete it in the first Test but it’s okay, whatever is written in destiny… he will complete his 500 wickets in Rajkot, in my hometown."
India and England go into the third Test in Rajkot, starting Thursday (February 15) with the five-match series tied at 1-1. England walked away with a 28-run win in the first Test in Hyderabad, but India did well to bounce back and level the series in Visakhapatnam by 106 runs.