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'I Play For CSK That's Why…,' Ravindra Jadeja Credits Dhoni & Co. For 3/28 Vs AUS

image-lnhlr1g3Jadeja celebrating after a wicket vs Australia in Chennai (AP Photo)

Following his three-wicket haul, India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja shared his thoughts on his brilliant performance. 

In their opening 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup match in Chennai, Team India successfully limited Australia to a total of 199/10. Australia, batting first, appeared to be in a strong position at 110/2. However, the pair of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuchagne struggled to find boundaries, and the Indian spinners, notably Jadeja, built pressure by consistently delivering dot balls. Jadeja's disciplined bowling paid off as he dismissed both Steve Smith and Marnus Labuchagne. 

During the same over in which Labuchagne was sent packing, Jadeja also trapped Alex Carey leg-before-wicket, dealing a blow to Australia's hopes of setting a competitive target. The left-arm spinner concluded with impressive figures of 3/28 in his ten overs.

Jadeja, who is well-acquainted with the conditions in Chennai, expressed his satisfaction with his performance, saying, 

"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."

"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," Ravindra Jadeja said during the mid-innings break.

The Australian batters faced difficulties on a challenging Chepauk pitch where both fast bowlers and spinners found success.  Jadeja played a pivotal role by capturing three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav each contributed with two wickets, limiting Australia to a total of 199/10.

Benefiting from his extensive experience with CSK and familiarity with Chennai's pitch conditions, Jadeja utilized his knowledge effectively. Moreover, the pitch was custom-tailored to favour spinners, offering significant grip and turn, which played into Jadeja's hands.

In the chase of 200, Indian batters were found in deep waters when the scoreboard was reading 2/3 initially, but Virat Kohli and KL Rahul revived the innings with a crucial partnership.

At the time of writing, India are at 116/3, with both batters scoring their unbeaten fifties, after 28 overs.