'Smith's Wicket Was The Turning Point': Ravindra Jadeja Opines

image-lnidy1csJadeja picked up 3 wickets vs Australia [Twitter]

Ravindra Jadeja recognised the impact of dismissing Steve Smith at the critical juncture in India's ICC World Cup 2023 opener in Chennai and called it the "turning point" of the riveting fixture played on Sunday (October 8).

The experienced Indian left-arm spinner was responsible for sending the Australian batting great back in the pavilion just when he was setting himself up for the long haul. At 110/2 with Smith not out 46 off 70, Australia would've believed they could upstage India with a chase in excess of 250-260 on a track where batting remained a stiff task. 

However, Jadeja's late introduction to the bowling crease proved to be a game-changer as he got one to dip and turn sharply past Smith's outside edge and bowled him from around-the-wicket angle for the left-arm spinner. Even Smith was partly impressed by the quality of the ball he had just been dismissed by. 

That wicket pulled Australia back significantly after Jadeja triggered a collapse with an exceptional three-wicket haul for 28 off 10 overs, which his spin partners Ravichandran Ashwin (1/34) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/42) backed up brilliantly to bring the opposition down to its knees at 199 all out. 

'It Wasn't Easy For New Batter To Come in And Rotate Strike'

Speaking to the broadcaster about his spell and the weight of influence of Smith's crucial dismissal during the mid-innings break, Jadeja said the wicket of the Aussie legend made it easier for the Indian spin trio to tighten the screws on the new batters since rotating the strike wasn't easy with sharp turn on offer. 

During his knock, Smith seemed to have grasped the nature of the conditions perfectly. However, the same couldn't be said about the rest of the Aussie middle-order men. The five-time champions collapsed from a reasonably comfortable position to lose their last eight wickets for only 89 runs after Smith's departure. 

"I think that was the turning moment, you know, when you get a wicket like Steve Smith. From there onwards it was not easy to just come in and rotate the strike for the new batter," said Jadeja, one of India's heroes in a prized six-wicket triumph to get the World Cup started on a high. 

"So I would say that wicket was the turning point... And yeah, it helped me, because I knew the conditions in Chennai. I've been playing here for like 10-11 years, so I know the conditions on this ground. I enjoyed it and whatever I contribute to the team I always feel happy," he added. 

After an Aussie demolition job with the ball in hand, Jadeja will be next seen in action against Afghanistan on October 11.