Healthy competition is good for Indian cricket, says Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja hasn’t featured in an ODI match since July 2017.

Ravindra Jadeja | Getty

Finding himself on the sidelines of India’s limited-overs setup, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has said that it is fairly difficult to make it to the national team considering the level of competition for each spot. Nonetheless, Jadeja feels healthy competition is good for Indian cricket since it constantly push the players and keep them on their toes.  

“It is really tough to make it to the Indian team. But, at the same time, it is also good to have healthy competition. This is good for Indian cricket. It will make you push your limits and keep improving as a complete cricketer. You have to pull up your socks or else you will stay where you are,” Jadeja quoted in an exclusive interview with Sportstar.

Jadeja, who hasn’t featured in an ODI match since July 2017, also praised the two wrist spinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who are doing exceptionally well in limited-overs cricket for India lately. The Men in Blue have lost just 4 ODIs in their last 23 one-day internationals since last year's Champions Trophy and the duo of Kuldeep and Chahal have played an instrumental role in it.

“The wrist spinners are doing a wonderful job in one-dayers. For them, two variations — the one that spins away and the one that comes back into the batsman — come naturally,” said Jadeja.

The 29-year-old though didn’t count out the possibility of his return in the colours clothing.

“Definitely, to be in the Indian team at the earliest is my biggest goal now. I should create the opportunities to achieve this,” Jadeja said.

"It is more difficult for the finger spinners and not easy on every wicket. But, it doesn’t mean it is the end of the road for bowlers like me,” he added.

Jadeja, who has scalped 155 wickets in 136 ODIs thus far beside scalping 31 wickets in 40 T20Is, also made it clear that he doesn’t take any extra pressure by thinking too much about his exclusion from the limited-overs team.

“Yes, I am aware that it is another fresh challenge to perform really well in every event I compete — be it Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL or any tournament that I play. I don’t take pressure by thinking too much. I look at every single match as a huge opportunity. I am confident about my skills,” said Jadeja.

“You need to be smart, innovative and have the variations to do something different to keep the batsmen guessing,” he concluded.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 07 Feb, 2018

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