‘Image conscious’ Ravindra Jadeja relieved after success

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Saturday said he always feared being labelled as a player who excels only in domestic cricket and desperately wanted success at international level.

Jadeja made a good comeback to the Indian Test team as he scalped five wickets in South Africa’s second innings today and bagged the Man-of-the-Match award.

The left-hander was drafted into the Indian team after taking 38 wickets for Saurashtra with his spin bowling in four Ranji Trophy matches this season.

“I thought I have to do well for India too. I can’t relax, otherwise you get an image that you do well only in domestic cricket. That you don’t do well in international cricket. Personally I was worried about that more than anything, that you don’t want that label that you do well only in Ranji Trophy or domestic cricket. I wanted to do well in international cricket too,” Jadeja told reporters.

Talking about team’s strategy for the series-opener, Jadeja said they were clear what they needed to do.

“The game plan was to make spinning wickets because other team’s strength was pace bowling. That’s why we thought we would play spinners and play on turning tracks. When the wickets came in the first two-three matches, confidence followed by itself. There was a different confidence in me now.”

The bowler, who ended up with a match haul of 8-76, though said that the much-hyped I.S. Bindra-PCA Stadium pitch was not as bad as it was made out to be.