Three years is a long time in a cricketer's career. More so, if you are Ravindra Jadeja. The all-rounder, who was a regular in the playing XI of the Indian cricket team, has had a roller coaster ride, especially in the 50-over format. In 2016, the left-arm spinner and lower middle order batsman, and one of the team's sharpest fielders could play only five ODIs. The next year was slightly better—he played 10 ODIs.
This year, he managed to make it to the playing XI only once—on Friday against Bangladesh in the ongoing Asia Cup, where he took 4/29. His last ODI before this was on July 6, 2017, in Kingston, West Indies. Jadeja has been counting the days ever since, and he is unlikely to forget the long wait any time soon. “I will always remember this comeback because I returned to the team after a gap of around 480 days,” he said after his match-winning performance with the ball against Bangladesh.
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He is a man of few words, and keeps his thoughts and emotions to himself. One can put his lack of opportunities down to the rise of the wrist-spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the last year and a half. But even when the selectors and team management looked beyond them, they chose left-arm spinner Axar Patel. In fact, Jadeja's return to the side both last year and this have been due to injury to Patel. Nevertheless, Jadeja is focused on making the chances he is getting count. “I was thinking that whenever I get a chance, I will perform. That's the only thing under my control. I don't think about the results.”
In the recent India-England Test series, Jadeja was picked for the last match at the Oval. Though he ended up on the losing side, he scored 86* and 13 and took 4/79 and 3/179 in the match. Having been dropped from India's Asia Cup squad, Jadeja was playing for Saurashtra in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, when he got the call to join the national team in Dubai. “I gained a lot of confidence from last Test against England. I was playing Vijay Hazare Trophy in Delhi when I got the call from the selector. I was very happy,” he said.
Jadeja, however, is unwilling to look too far ahead. This year, post Asia Cup, Team India will be playing five ODIs and three T20Is, apart from two Tests at home followed by four Tests, three T20s and three ODIs in Australia at the end of the year. “I won't think too far ahead to the World Cup. There are a lot of matches before that. I have to perform whenever I get an opportunity. I have to prove to myself and nobody else. I need to keep my cricket skills sharp, and challenge myself to improve further,” he said.
