"When I saw the wicket, I thought I should get 2-3 wickets" - Jadeja on capitalizing on tailormade conditions in IND vs AUS 2023 ODI WC clashÂ
Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers in their 2023 ODI World Cup clash against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
The spinner finished with figures of 3-28, which included a couple of maiden overs as well. Operating in the middle overs, he dismantled Australia's middle order to trigger a collapse from which they never really recovered.
His wickets included that of key batters Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Alex Carey, all of which came in quick succession to rattle the Aussies. Jadeja's spell played a key role in bowling out Australia for 199 in 49.3 overs.
Admitting that the conditions were suitable to his style of bowling and crediting his time with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League, Jadeja told broadcasters during the innings break:
"I play for CSK so I know the conditions here, when I saw the pitch I thought I should get 2-3 wickets, luckily I got 3 wickets and am very happy. I was looking to bowl into the stumps and there was turn, you never know which one is going straight and which one is turning, the odd ball was turning and I was just mixing the pace."
Further stating that the Indian batters should look to play simple cricket in their attempt to chase down the 200-run target, Jadeja added:
"Chennai crowd always come in good numbers and it is good to see a full house. Just go out there and play simple cricket, not try anything fancy and keep it simple."
Apart from Jadeja, the other two spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin, also had a say in the proceedings, The trio were responsible for picking up six wickets in 30 overs while conceding 104 runs in the process.
Ravindra Jadeja becomes the second Indian spinner after Maninder Singh to claim three wickets in a World Cup encounter against Australia
The left-arm spinner managed to enter the record books with his tight spell. With figures of 3-28, Ravindra Jadeja becomes the second Indian spinner after Maninder Singh to take three wickets in an ODI World Cup contest against the Men in Yellow.
Maninder Singh finished with figures of 3-34 in Team India's 56-run victory in the 1987 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Will Team India manage to successfully chase down the total set by Australia? Let us know what you think.