NEW DELHI: Senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja stated on Sunday that Rohit Sharma‘s Indian teammates were unfazed by the harsh criticism coming from all sides since they knew their captain was only a knock away from returning to his best.
In a spectacular response to his detractors, the 37-year-old Indian captain smashed his 32nd ODI century, a 90-ball 119, to lead India to a four-wicket victory against England in Cuttack sealing the series with one game remaining.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
His value to the team was further reinforced by the fact that the innings came just weeks before the Champions Trophy.
“The entire world may be behind him but in our dressing room, there was no such atmosphere. He is such a great player that he knows exactly how to build an innings,” Jadeja said at the post-match media interaction.
The all-rounder went on to say that great players go through these stages.
“It’s just a matter of one good inning. As you saw, it didn’t even feel like he hadn’t scored runs in the previous innings. The shots he played were smooth and he looked confident. Just played normal strokes.”
Despite criticism from outside, Jadeja emphasized that there was never any panic among the group.
“Sometimes, it just takes one or two innings to turn things around. The good thing is that, before an important tournament like the Champions Trophy, scoring a hundred is a huge boost. It’s great for the team, and obviously, he himself knows his game well. There’s nothing much to think or discuss.”
Asked how was the mood after he got to his triple, Jadeja said: “Obviously, as I just mentioned, before a big tournament, if any batsman scores a hundred, it boosts confidence both for the individual and the team.
“If your top-order batsmen are scoring runs, you will always get a good start. In ODI cricket, if you get a good start in the first 10-15 overs, it sets the platform for the death overs, where you can capitalise.”
Following their decision to bat, England amassed 304 runs in 49.5 overs, with Jadeja (3/35) once again playing a key role in containing their attack.
Despite playing ODIs for the first time in almost two years, Jadeja attributed his ability to keep his rhythm to domestic cricket.
“No, it feels really good, especially after almost two years-since the World Cup. Coming back into this format requires quick adaptation, but I believe the domestic matches I played helped me a lot.
“In those matches, I bowled over 30 overs, which helped me maintain my rhythm. Even in Tests, I tried to maintain the same line and length in ODIs.
“The rhythm remained intact because the break wasn’t too long. So, I think playing domestic games benefitted me in maintaining my rhythm.”
