'Almost ready' Jadeja seeks match-fitness in Ranji Trophy clash against Tamil Nadu

"I am feeling good to be back on the field. I am very excited and looking forward to this game.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja

CHENNAI:  All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has been on the sidelines for the last five months due to an injury, will be making a comeback to competitive cricket, leading Saurashtra in their last Ranji Trophy league match against Tamil Nadu at the MA Chidambaram Stadium from Tuesday.

Having been out of action since August 2022 he was ruled out of 2022 Asia Cup midway and subsequently underwent knee surgery Jadeja had been going through his rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. With his inclusion for the upcoming four-Test series against Australia subject to fitness, Jadeja is expected to gain some valuable match time to prove his fitness.

"I am feeling good to be back on the field. I am very excited and looking forward to this game. Hopefully, it’ll come good as a team and as an individual also," Jadeja told the media on Monday. "My first priority is to get on the field and be 100 per cent fit. Once I’ll regain that level, I will work on my skills, whether it’s batting or bowling but my first priority is my fitness," he said.

Admitting that it was the longest he had to stay away from the game, Jadeja said it was a challenging period for him. "You feel bad. Nobody wants to get injured at your peak. It is part of the game. You have to keep that in mind and be prepared for it. You can't do anything. There is no guarantee that one won't get injured in cricket," he said.

"Fortunately, I was busy with some other things. I was not thinking too much about cricket, two-three months after I got injured and had my surgery. I was busy with some election things, that helped me a lot," said Jadeja. The all-rounder campaigned for his wife Rivaba who contested and won in the Gujarat Assembly elections on a BJP ticket.  

On the eve of the match, Jadeja, who had a prolonged warm-up session before the skill sessions, went through his routines under the watchful eyes of Sudarsan VP, strength and conditioning coach from the NCA. Sudarsan, who has previously worked with the Indian team, is in Chennai just to look after Jadeja and see how he fares over the next four days. After the match, both Sudarsan and Jadeja are expected to return to the NCA.  

For Jadeja, it is all about taking it slow and how he performs in all three departments of the game. "I was at the NCA for 20 days. I was doing batting and bowling but the match scenarios are different. I wanted one game before the Australia series, that's why I am here. I will try to give my 100 per cent. I will try to go slow. Let's see how my legs are feeling and then we will see," he signed off.

Pradosh to captain TN
With skipper Sai Kishore unwell, Pradosh Ranjan Paul is all set to lead TN against Saurashtra on Tuesday. Youngster B Sai Sudharsan has been named his deputy and spinner M Siddarth has been included in the squad for the match.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com