IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Ravindra Jadeja credits domestic cricket for his consistency in England series

Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has credited domestic cricket for his consistent performances in the two ODIs of the ongoing three-match series against England. 

Ravindra Jadeja was one of the instrumental players in helping the Men in Blue seal the series against England with a game to go in Ahmedabad. In the first ODI, the 36-year-old picked three wickets while conceding just 26 runs at an economy rate of 2.9 in nine overs in Nagpur. In the recently concluded second ODI, Jadeja led India’s bowling attack again by registering figures of 3/35 at an economy rate of 3.5. He was the most economical bowler for India in the match. 

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Before returning to international duties for the three-match ODI series against England, Ravindra Jadeja played the second round of the Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra against Delhi in Rajkot, where he picked 12 wickets across two innings (5/66 and 7/38). 

Speaking at the press conference after India’s 2nd ODI win against England, Ravindra Jadeja stated the domestic cricket has helped him to get back into rhythm as he was returning to ODI format after almost two years. 

“I am feeling very good. I have played ODIs for almost two years since the World Cup 2023. One needs to adapt to this format quickly.” the veteran all-rounder told reporters at Cuttack. 

“I think playing domestic cricket has helped me because in that match I threw almost 30-ish overs. Because of that, the rhythm was consistent... So, I think playing domestic cricket has benefited a lot to maintain the rhythm.” he added. 

With his consistent performance in the last two ODIs, Ravindra Jadeja has continued to prove why is one of the vital assets for Team India in the shorter format. Jadeja’s last appearance in the ODI format was in the 2023 World Cup Final, where India lost to Australia in Ahmedabad. The veteran all-rounder was among certain Indian players who were asked to return to play domestic cricket by the BCCI selectors and Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir following the team’s disastrous Test tour of Australia, where they failed to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy title for the first time in 10 years. 

In the first ODI against England, Ravindra Jadeja achieved the feat of becoming the fifth Indian bowler after Anil Kumble, Ravinchandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, and Kapil Dev to complete 600 wickets across all formats at the international level. Currently, Jadeja’s tally stands at 603 wickets, including 17 fifers and 20 four-wicket hauls, at an average of 28.86 and an economy rate of 3.51 in 353 matches. 

Ravindra Jadeja’s domestic cricket record 

Ravindra Jadeja made his first-class debut for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy in 2006 and went on to establish his name in domestic cricket. Jadeja has been one of Saurashtra’s most influential players and played a crucial role in the team’s success over the years. Jadeja holds the Indian record for scoring three triple centuries in the history of first-class cricket. 

In his first-class career, Ravindra Jadeja has amassed 6050 runs, including 12 centuries and 28 fifties, at an average of 47.26 in 105 matches. With the ball, the all-rounder picked 554 wickets, including 36 fifers and 23 four-wicket hauls, at an average of 23.55 in 137 matches. 

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