India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was the star with the ball for Men in Blue in the second ODI of the three-match series. As England won the toss and chose to bat first, Indian bowlers knew they had a tough task on their hands.
Ben Duckett (65), Joe Root (69), and Liam Livingstone (41) helped England score 304 runs in 50 overs. Ravindra Jadeja starred for India, scoring 3/35 in 10 overs.
In reply, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (60) contributed 136 runs for the first wicket. Rohit added 70 runs with Shreyas Iyer (44) after Gill and Virat Kohli were dismissed for 5 runs each. Axar Patel stayed on 41* as India scored 44.3 overs with four wickets in hand.
Jadeja’s three wickets were very crucial in the middle overs as they stemmed the flow of runs and kept England from getting a bigger total.
This series is Ravindra Jadeja’s return to ODI cricket after the 2023 ICC World Cup in November of that year. In the post-match presser, he was asked about his rhythm in the format and Jadeja credited playing in domestic cricket and bowling lots of overs.
"No, it feels really good, especially after almost two years since the World Cup. Coming back into this format requires quick adaptation, but I believe the domestic matches I played helped me a lot.
In those matches, I bowled over 30 overs, which helped me maintain my rhythm. Even in Tests, I tried to maintain the same line and length in ODIs. The rhythm remained intact because the break wasn't too long. So, I think playing domestic games benefitted me in maintaining my rhythm,” Jadeja said in the post-match presser conference.
He further added that the Indian team wasn’t fazed about captain Rohit Sharma’s poor run of form. He added that Rohit Sharma’s ton coming just before the Champions Trophy is a huge boost for the Indian team.
"The entire world may be behind him but in our dressing room, there was no such atmosphere. He is such a great player that he knows exactly how to build an innings. It's just a matter of one good inning. As you saw, it didn't even feel like he hadn't scored runs in the previous innings. The shots he played were smooth and he looked confident. Just played normal strokes,” Jadeja said on Rohit’s ton.
Despite criticism from outside, Jadeja emphasized that there was never any panic among the group.
"Sometimes, it just takes one or two innings to turn things around. The good thing is that, before an important tournament like the Champions Trophy, scoring a hundred is a huge boost. It's great for the team, and obviously, he himself knows his game well. There's nothing much to think or discuss,” he added.
Asked how was the mood after Rohit got to his ton, Jadeja said: "Obviously, as I just mentioned, before a big tournament, if any batsman scores a hundred, it boosts confidence both for the individual and the team. If your top-order batsmen are scoring runs, you will always get a good start. In ODI cricket, if you get a good start in the first 10-15 overs, it sets the platform for the death overs, where you can capitalize.”
The third and final ODI between India and England will be played in Ahmedabad on February 12.
(PTI inputs)
