internet Desk: Often criticised for underperforming with the bat, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja today took a dig at his detractors after notching up a career-best Test score in the ongoing third match of the five-game series against England at Mohali on Monday.
Jadeja was polite but sarcasm was not lost when he said that it’s not as if he fancies himself as a “specialist batsman” because he is indeed one.
Jadeja’s career-best Test score of 90 helped India take a 134-run first innings lead, thereby putting England under immense pressure on third day of the game.
“It’s not that I consider myself as a batsman, I am a batsman,” Jadeja asserted when someone asked whether he has become more responsible while batting which was evident in his defensive game today.
In fact to drive home a point, he took the help of statistics.
“I have been scoring runs in first-class cricket at an average of 53 (43 as per espncricinfo records), if you leave aside Test matches, that is. It’s not the first time that I have made 90 runs. Yes, may be a first in Tests but I have an idea that I can bat. I wasn’t in a hurry, since it was a slow wicket with less turn. I knew after 50, 60 or 70 balls, I can up my scoring rate,” said the Saurashtra all-rounder.
Asked to compare his 68 at Lord’s with today’s knock, Jadeja said: “I think any good innings that you have played for India is important. Even during this innings, we were in a situation where we were 5 for 150 (156) and from that situation to guide the team to a good position was challenging. Jayant (Yadav), (Ravichandran) Ashwin and myself spoke to each other, build the innings and luckily we are now in a good position considering that they are still 70 behind (56 actually) and are four down.”
He said that since England was bowling “boring lines”, he decided to take them on during post lunch session.
“I didn’t go on an attacking mode just like that. They were bowling boring lines outside off stump. We had lot of time at our disposal so I just thought that let’s disturb the bowler by going outside the off-stump. Try and use the area on the leg-side as there were only two fielders there. That s what I was trying and luckily I got four boundaries in that over (of Woakes),” Jadeja said.