Ravindra Jadeja's Saurashtra coach Sitanshu Kotak rebutted India coach Ravi Shastri's claim that the all-rounder was injured when he had left for Australia tour and had also played a Ranji Trophy game with stiff shoulder.
“There was no fitness issue at all when he (Jadeja) was playing for Saurashtra. Neither there was any stiffness which you are talking about. Had there been any stiffness or any injury he would have not played Ranji Trophy, or at least he would have told us,” Kotak told The Indian Express.
“He joined the team and had two days nets session before our Ranji Trophy game (against Railways) started. He batted and took part in fielding drills. He was present for four days at the ground. His scores will speak for himself, in two innings he bowled. He batted well for us and scored a hundred too.”
“If he was feeling any pain or stiffness, do you think he would have bowled so many overs? He was perfectly fit when he was with us. I don’t know what happened once he left Saurashtra team. He came to the Ranji Trophy game perfectly fit,” Kotak added.
Jadeja featured in the Ranji Trophy match against the Railways from November 12 to 15 in Rajkot.
He bowled 64 overs in the match and picked up seven wickets. He also went on to score 178 runs from 332 balls in first innings and another 48 runs in the second innings to help Saurashtra win the match.
However, India coach Ravi Shastri claimed that Jadeja had been suffering from stiff shoulder from the time he was playing Ranji Trophy and was given injections four days after landing in Australia.