Galle, Aug 16 — India’s veteran left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has expressed satisfaction with the pitch conditions for the ongoing first Test at the Galle International Stadium, adding that while dry surfaces offering turn and bounce excite spinners, he personally prefers a slow turner over a rank turner as that aids him in contributing with the bat.

On day one’s play, left-hander Devdutt Padikkal hit a stroke-filled, unbeaten 131 off 178 balls and took India to a commanding 288/2 in 73 overs in the side’s landmark 600th Test match. “Being a spinner, if I see the wicket is dry, if I see there are a few cracks in the middle of the wicket, I always feel that, okay, it might be good for the spinners because some might turn, some might keep low.

“So, I always feel if wicket is dry, then you'll get more turn and bounce, as we have on this wicket, because this wicket is also very much on the dry side. The odd ball is turning, odd ball is going straight and keeping low. As the game progresses, I would say more turn and bounce will be there. Spinners will enjoy this wicket,” Jadeja said in a chat with broadcasters ahead of day two’s play, which has been delayed due to rain.

Asked about whether the track will deteriorate rapidly, Jadeja added, “Yesterday also when they were bowling, ball was gripping, odd ball was turning from the start. So I would say as the game progresses, we don't know how much weather will allow, but yeah, as the game progresses, wicket will start turning.”

Quizzed about his past experiences of playing on extreme turners, Jadeja recalled, “A few times, when we played in India, I think one was in Indore and the other one was in Pune where Smith score a hundred. So those two wickets I felt it was looking like a rank turner.

“As a spinner, if you see the wicket, you always feel happy and you start getting excited. But I don't want to play on the rank turner because I need to score runs as well. So I would prefer a slow turner to start with and as the game progresses, then if ball starts turning, that would be an ideal wicket.”

Reflecting on his growth as a Test batter and how he built the temperament for long innings, Jadeja candidly spoke about his early career struggles with self-doubt, especially when pushed down the batting order.

“When I started, I used to bat at number 4. If you look at my entire Ranji Trophy career, my average is more than 60. Whatever Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy first-class cricket I have played domestically, my batting average is more than 60. So somewhere, I had that belief that I had that ability. But sometimes what happens is that you come into the Indian team and you don't get that batting number.

“And sometimes the situation is such that I have batted at number 8 and 9 as well. So, when you are sitting in the dressing room with your pads on, next to you, a fast bowler is selecting a ball. So seeing all those things, my morale, my confidence, would go down. Sometimes you think to yourself, ‘I have to go and score runs.’

“And in that same dressing room, a fast bowler is selecting the ball, thinking, ‘Come on, now bowling is coming.’ So because of all those things, my confidence was literally disturbed. I would think, ‘Oh man, what is this? The team doesn't even have confidence in me.’ So I have seen that in my early days, that I didn't get that number. Very low, many times I even went in to bat below Ashwin. So somewhere, all those things disturbed me,” he revealed.

Jadeja further explained how securing the number slot and exercising strict shot discipline helped him adapt, particularly in overseas conditions. “But luckily, now I have got the opportunity to bat at number six. In England, I was doing just one thing. I had limited my shots. I didn't have to play every shot. I didn't have to play the cover drive, I didn't have to play the square drive.

“I had removed all those shots from my book, that I don't have to play these shots in England. I had to work very hard for that. Because sometimes you feel that while sitting in the dressing room, you can think more, that yes, I won't play this, I won't play that.

“But the same thing, when you go into the middle in a pressure situation, when the ball is swinging, bouncing, then you have to implement that. So that is a little mentally challenging. But I was strong that I don't have to play the cover drive, I don't have to play any shot outside off. So that helped me quite a lot.”

On balancing his twin roles as a batter and bowler depending on match situations, Jadeja noted, “Right now, I am at that stage where I look at what the team needs. For example, if the ball is turning, then I become a frontline bowler. If it's a flat wicket and there is seam movement and all that, like in England or Australia, then I play purely as a batter. So basically, whatever the team's requirement is, what the team needs in a particular situation, accordingly I look to play and play my role.”

Praising the new generation of Indian cricketers, Jadeja lauded their composure when stepping onto the international stage. “Today's youngsters are very confident. They know what their game is, and they know how to change gears within their game. So, to some extent, I feel that with so much cricket happening, and with so many live matches coming up, like the IPL, they get to play in big tournaments with big players.

“Their confidence level has gone up because of that, and that is why they are settling into international cricket quite easily. For them, it's not such a big deal that we are playing in Australia, England or South Africa. I have never felt that any youngster who has come into the team is struggling, or when you look at them and their body language, they look nervous. It doesn't feel like that.”

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