Domestic Cricket the secret to Jadeja’s brilliant bowling against England as he kept things tight while snaring three wickets.
Domestic Cricket has been credited as the reason for Ravindra Jadeja’s improved bowling in this series.
Jadeja has taken six wickets and given up just two boundaries in 19 overs in two games against an explosive England team. Even before the last ODI, which will also be his 200th, he was instrumental in India’s series victory.
“Feeling very good,” Jadeja said. “Especially playing ODIs after almost two years. You have to adapt quickly in this format. I believe that the domestic game that I played [against Delhi] helped me a lot. I bowled almost 30 overs in that match. So I never lost my rhythm. And I am trying to bowl Test lines and lengths in ODIs as well. What we call the rhythm, the continuity, was in place because my break from cricket wasn’t that long. So in my view, I have benefited from the domestic match that I played.”
After India won the World Cup in June of last year, Jadeja decided to retire from Twenty20 Internationals. He had no cricket between this ODI series and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which concluded in the first week of this year. During this time, Jadeja participated in two Ranji Trophy matches but only bowled in one, taking 12 wickets in 30 overs over two innings.
The board’s directive to its players to not miss games unless they are injured or have their workload controlled has made headlines in India’s domestic cricket, particularly the Ranji Trophy.
Rohit Sharma played for Mumbai for the first time in ten years, while Virat Kohli for Delhi for the first time in twelve. When India was supposed to play cricket in a different format following the break, the board was criticised for what was perceived as headmasterly treatment.
Jadeja appears to have benefited from keeping up with cricket, which the decision-makers will view as confirmation of their belief that playing matches is the best way to develop as a player.