Star India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has opened up on his captaincy aspirations after being awarded vice-captaincy for the ongoing Test series against West Indies. Jadeja was handed over the leadership duties in the absence of wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant, who has been recovering from a toe fracture.
Jadeja had a great vice-captaincy debut, as he was adjudged Player of the Match in the first Test in Ahmedabad for his all-round show. Recently, Jadeja was asked if he has any captaincy aspirations in the Indian team, and the veteran all-rounder denied having any such goals but stated that he’s always willing to guide the juniors.
“No, sir. I don’t even think about that. That time has gone long back. Now, I just try to help the team as much as I can. If a youngster comes and asks me, like Kuldeep asks about bowling, I give my opinion. Sometimes Jaiswal comes, anyone comes, I tell them what I feel. Where to play based on wicket, conditions, all that. I’m not thinking about captaincy or vice-captaincy at all. I just take what I get and perform,” said Jadeja in the press conference at the end of the day.
Furthermore, Jadeja also revealed that he wasn’t surprised by the slow turn offered on by the surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, during the second Test against the West Indies.
“No, I am not surprised because we asked for slow turn. We didn’t ask for rank turn. I think this is what we expected. As the game progresses, the wicket will start turning slowly, not on the first day. So I think not surprised. We have to work hard. As I said, we have to work hard, bowl well throughout the innings. Only then we’ll be able to get them out. I think we’ll continue to do it and hopefully produce a good result,” he added.
Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers for India on Day 2 of the second Test as he registered figures of 3/37 in 14 overs. He dismissed John Campbell (10 off 25), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (34 off 67) and Roston Chase (0). Courtesy of his performance, West Indies finished Day 2 on 140/4 in the first innings, in reply to India’s massive score of 518/5.
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