Ravindra Jadeja: I was targeting stump-to-stump line since the odd ball was spinning | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: India’s star left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja made a superb comeback to Test cricket, after returning from a long injury lay off, with a five-wicket haul against Australia in the opening Test at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday.
Jadeja returned figures of 5/47 along with Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 3/42, to bowl out Australia for 177 in the final session of Day 1.
Expressing happiness over the way he bowled after making an international return, Jadeja said he bowled wicket-to-wicket since the odd ball was turning and one odd ball was going straight.
“There was no bounce on the wicket, I was targeting the stump-to-stump line. The odd ball was spinning and the odd ball was going straight. Being a left-arm spinner, if you get batsmen out caught behind or stumped, you always give credit to the ball,” Jadeja said after the first day’s play.

“In Test match cricket, whatever wicket you take, you are happy with that. I was working hard on my bowling when I was in Bangalore at the NCA. I was bowling 10-12 hours everyday and that helped me a lot. I was working on my rhythm because I knew that I have to play a Test match and I have to bowl long spells,” Jadeja said.

“Very happy with the way I was bowling. I was enjoying my bowling. Playing Test cricket after 5 months, it’s tough. I was prepared for it and I was working hard on my fitness as well as on my skills at NCA.
“I played a first-class game (Ranji) after a long time and I bowled almost 42 overs. It gave me a lot of confidence to come here and play a Test match,” Jadeja added.

“This wasn’t a rank turner. Compared to other pitches, it was slow and had low bounce. I felt defending wasn’t very difficult today but as the game progresses, it (defending) will become increasingly difficult. But that’s the nature of Test cricket,” Jadeja said.
He then explained how he played mind games with the batters and got the better of them.
“I used the crease as not every delivery was turning. And, as I said, the bounce was low, so trying (I tried) to create doubts in the minds of the batters,” he explained.
“I was going wide off the crease and coming close to the stumps and some deliveries if they stepped out and it turned, there would always be a chance. Luckily, he (Marnus Labuschagne) stepped out (and) that one (delivery) turned after pitching. And for (Steve) Smith, the ball went straight from that same spot from where I delivered the earlier (Marnus) delivery,” Jadeja further said.
Marnus Labuschagne (49) and Steve Smith (37) staged a mini-recovery with a 82-run stand but Jadeja lured Labuschagne out of the crease to be stumped and dismissed Matt Renshaw for a first-ball duck with the next delivery to be on a hat-trick.
While that feat eluded him, Jadeja claimed the crucial wicket of Smith with an extra delivery he had to bowl for having sent down a no-ball earlier in that over.