By Niharika Raina
New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) In Indias win by an innings and 132 runs over Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener in Nagpur, the comeback of left-arm spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was one of the bright spots for the hosts.
In his first game for India after being sidelined by a knee injury which needed surgery in September last year, Jadeja made an instant impact, claiming 5/47 in the first innings as Australia were bowled out for 177.
Now, ahead of the second Test in New Delhi, India head coach Rahul Dravid stated that he was pleased with how Jadeja fared in Nagpur, especially after bowling 22 overs on day one of the game.
“Couldn’t be more happy. Couldn’t be more pleased. We gave him a real test on the first day, we made him bowl 22 overs, so there was no slacking off. There was some thought about easing him into the Test match and we had few discussions around the group that he’s coming back after a long time and can manage his bowling to settle him in first couple of days.”
“But the way he was bowling and how well he bowled, he just continued bowling and bowled 22 overs in the day. That was a great test for him physically and he passed that test really well. He’s pulled up really well. He’s been fantastic for us and as an all-rounder, not only in Indian conditions, but in overseas,” said Dravid while replying to a question from IANS in the press conference.
Jadeja went on to make a crucial 70 with the bat, sharing a crucial 88-run stand with Axar Patel and giving India a substantial lead. He would then take two more wickets as Australia crashed to 91 all out, giving India 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
“Like, who can forget that hundred in Birmingham (against England last year) and it was a superb hundred with Rishabh. So, he’s been developing really well and is a real boon for us to have that quality of spin we have and the way all three of them have batted,” added Dravid.
Another player who could be on the verge of a comeback in the Indian Test team is middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, who has joined the side and batted for a long time during the practice session on Wednesday.
Since making a century on debut against New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021, Iyer has played only seven Tests But he has been a crucial batter in the Test line-up, mainly due to being involved in bailing India out of tough scenarios, apart from being one of better players of spin in the sub-continent conditions.
“Without it being written in stone and without it being a rule, we certainly value contributions of people who’ve been there, and if they’ve missed out due to injury, they deserve the right to come back in, if they’ve performed, irrespective of what has happened in the time that they’ve been injured.”
“So yes, it’s something that I can’t answer for everyone, but it’s certainly the outlook of the team management. And yes, Shreyas has played well against spin, but what’s really stood out has been his temperament. We’ve been in quite a few pressure situations with Shreyas around, right from the first Test match that he played, his debut game in Kanpur,” stated Dravid.
He would also cite Iyer’s role in getting India chase down 145 after being 74/7 alongside Ravichandran Ashwin against Bangladesh at Dhaka last year, while adding that the right-hander’s ability to deal in pressure situations makes him an essential part of the Test team.
“We’ve been in some tough situations, and he and Rishabh (Pant) and (Ravindra) Jadeja, really, have been the ones who’ve been bailing us out and playing those critical knocks. His temperament in Bangladesh, when we were under pressure, along with (Ravichandran) Ashwin. That’s something that’s a really good sign, obviously along with his skill of playing spin really well.”
“He’s spent a lot of time in domestic cricket before getting in, so he obviously understands how to get runs, but I think at this level, also what really counts is your ability to deal with those pressure situations, that temperament, that ability to find solutions and find answers when we’re under pressure, and from the little sample size that we have, he’s been very good at that.
“It’ll be nice to have him back, and he certainly has been one of our better players, he deserves it, and people in the team understand that as well. They know that if they are replacing someone who is injured, that person will probably come back, and the same thing will be followed for them as well – if they get injured, hopefully we’ll be able to give them the same treatment as well,” he signed off.
—IANS
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