All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who gave another outstanding performance in the second ODI against England, feels that playing domestic cricket in the Ranji Trophy helped him get the right “rhythm” for the 50-over format.
Before the England series, Jadeja played two Ranji Trophy matches for Saurashtra but bowled in only one, against Delhi, where he took 12 wickets in 30 overs across both innings. This stint prepared him perfectly, and he carried that good form into the England series, taking six wickets in 19 overs in the first two ODIs. His strong performance just before the Champions Trophy, which begins in a week, is a big morale boost for the team.
Jadeja credited the domestic matches for helping him maintain his “rhythm,” even though he was returning to ODIs after a long gap due to fewer matches being played.
“It feels really good, especially after almost two years since the ODI World Cup. Coming back to this format requires quick adjustment, but the domestic games I played helped me a lot,” Jadeja said.
“In the match against Delhi, I bowled more than 30 overs, which helped me maintain my rhythm. I didn’t lose my rhythm. I’m trying to bowl Test-style lines and lengths in ODIs too. The rhythm, or what we call ‘continuity,’ was in place because my break wasn’t very long. So, in my view, the domestic matches benefitted me a lot,” he added.
After the disappointment in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the BCCI made a rule that top players must play for their Ranji Trophy state teams whenever they are free from national duty, unless there are injury or workload concerns.
Jadeja’s comments about the benefits of playing domestic cricket support the BCCI’s decision.
