India’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is delighted to be back in the Indian team for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
Jadeja had suffered a right forearm injury in the first Test match against New Zealand and thus he was ruled out for the tour of South Africa and the series against West Indies.
Jadeja stated that he was working on his fitness during his recovery and he stayed in touch with the game at the National Cricket Academy. The all-rounder has been a pivotal cog in India’s wheel and he would aim to hit the ground running.
Jadeja has been in superb form with the bat in the last couple of years and he would aim to deliver the goods for the team.
Speaking in a video released by the BCCI, Ravindra Jadeja said: “Good to be back in the Indian team and really looking forward to playing the T20 series and the Test series. It feels great to be back after 2-2.5 months and get a chance to play for India.”
He added: “I was very keen to do my rehab properly and also I was working hard on my fitness at NCA. So I am really excited about the upcoming series. I have been practicing in Bangalore, working on my bowling and batting and I was in touch. Today, I felt very good after coming here and doing my first session.”
On the other hand, former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar heaped praise on Jadeja’s batting. The left-hander has performed consistently with the bat in all three forms of the game.
Speaking on the Star Sports show Game Plan, Bangar said: “The more I think of it, the more it seems that it’s going to be a toss-up between Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja. That could be one of the reasons why Shardul Thakur has been rested when Jadeja has regained full fitness.”
He added: “Those two players have been doing the all-rounder’s role commendably for India over the last year or so, both with bat and ball. Ravindra Jadeja’s batting has been on the rise for the last couple of years and him being a left-hander can add that right-left sort of combination in the lower order as well, which the team has been looking for. I would say Jadeja is a straight swap for the position vacated by Shardul Thakur.”
The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka will be played at Lucknow on Thursday.
