KOLKATA: The head coach of India Rahul Dravid he said on Saturday Ravindra Jadeja he played exceptionally well, but his performance was a bit under the radar as the Mariners also did exceptionally well.
Jadeja seemed to hear this and decided to take matters into his own hands with a career-best haul of five for 33 in World Cup match against South Africahere on sunday. This is the second time the left-armer has taken five wickets in an ODI match. He pushed his five for 36 in 2013 against the West Indies to second place.
“No, I didn’t hear him (Dravid) say that,” Jadeja laughed off suggestions that he was prompted by the head coach’s words. “We know we’re going to get wickets in Kolkata that are slow and helpful to the spinners, so we went into the match with that mindset. Bounce is always low in Eden.’
He added that the batting was much tougher in the first innings and praised Virat Kohli a Shreyas Iyereffort. “When they (South Africa) were batting, the wicket became very loose,” he said.
He added that it always helps the spinners when the pacers take 2-3 quick wickets. “Our pacemakers do that and more consistently. When we (pullers) enter the bowling, we are already at an advantage.”
The fact that Kohli was celebrating his 35th birthday was not really on the minds of the Indians. “Such things happen all the time and they don’t change much. Of course, a win and a century on your birthday makes it doubly special, but we don’t use it as motivation or anything.”
But they are preparing for the dew. “If there is dew, a lot of things will change,” he said. “If the ball gets wet, the grip can be difficult and even the average team starts to look good. So we’re thinking about that when we’re preparing.”
South Africa head coach Rob Walters admitted they lost to a better team. “India is a great side, highly skilled,” he said. “We didn’t execute our plans.”
He repeatedly referred to the environment where a crowd of 70,000 cheers for the opponent. “It was always a thrill to play here Eden Gardens” he said, admitting that young people like it Marco Jansen he may be overwhelmed. The South African sailors had an “off” day Walter is sure will bounce back.
Jadeja seemed to hear this and decided to take matters into his own hands with a career-best haul of five for 33 in World Cup match against South Africahere on sunday. This is the second time the left-armer has taken five wickets in an ODI match. He pushed his five for 36 in 2013 against the West Indies to second place.
“No, I didn’t hear him (Dravid) say that,” Jadeja laughed off suggestions that he was prompted by the head coach’s words. “We know we’re going to get wickets in Kolkata that are slow and helpful to the spinners, so we went into the match with that mindset. Bounce is always low in Eden.’
He added that the batting was much tougher in the first innings and praised Virat Kohli a Shreyas Iyereffort. “When they (South Africa) were batting, the wicket became very loose,” he said.
He added that it always helps the spinners when the pacers take 2-3 quick wickets. “Our pacemakers do that and more consistently. When we (pullers) enter the bowling, we are already at an advantage.”
The fact that Kohli was celebrating his 35th birthday was not really on the minds of the Indians. “Such things happen all the time and they don’t change much. Of course, a win and a century on your birthday makes it doubly special, but we don’t use it as motivation or anything.”
But they are preparing for the dew. “If there is dew, a lot of things will change,” he said. “If the ball gets wet, the grip can be difficult and even the average team starts to look good. So we’re thinking about that when we’re preparing.”
South Africa head coach Rob Walters admitted they lost to a better team. “India is a great side, highly skilled,” he said. “We didn’t execute our plans.”
He repeatedly referred to the environment where a crowd of 70,000 cheers for the opponent. “It was always a thrill to play here Eden Gardens” he said, admitting that young people like it Marco Jansen he may be overwhelmed. The South African sailors had an “off” day Walter is sure will bounce back.
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