Regarded as the best outfielder of modern-day cricket, India’s Ravindra Jadeja admits not taking anything for granted, especially his fielding. Although not for any catch or a direct throw, Jadeja made headlines for picking his maiden World Cup five-wicket haul against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, helping India win the high-octane clash by 243 runs.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“…and fielding I never take for granted. I still feel I can drop a catch. I am always prepared on the field. I never relax. And that’s all: I keep trying to do my best. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t, but I keep trying all the time,” Jadeja said after his match-winning performance against South Africa in World Cup 2023.
The star all-rounder had an outing to remember, smashing an unbeaten 29 off 15 balls while batting and returning with figures of five for 33 in nine overs.
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Justifying his role as an all-round player in the side, Jadeja said he would have had a player like him in every line-up, adding he thinks as a skipper throughout the match.
“I would be very happy [to have myself],” Jadeja said. “And you asked me to think like a captain? I have been thinking like the captain from the first match, it’s a different matter that I haven’t become one.
“As an all-rounder, my role is to make an impact in tough situations. When you need the crucial 30-40 runs or when there is a partnership going on, and you need a wicket. Change the game. I always try to give an impactful performance and be there whenever the team needs me,” he added.
Jadeja aware of alternate result in crucial ties
India is on a winning spree, standing tall in eight straight matches in this World Cup edition. But Jadeja is aware of the home side suffering alternate outcomes in the knockout matches, given how quickly the situation can change in this game.
Commenting on how he managed to pick wickets despite the pitch playing better under the lights as compared to how it behaved in the first innings, Jadeja said,
“It was almost like challenging ourselves. There could have been dew later in the night. If we get caught in such a situation in a knockout match, we should know how to handle it.”
Meanwhile, India will face the Netherlands in their last league game on Sunday (Nov 12) in Bengaluru.
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