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The standout performer for India on Day 2 of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, Ravindra Jadeja remembered the Australian legend Shane Warne, who gave him an opportunity in the inaugural season of Indian Premier League (IPL).
After hitting an unbeaten 175 against Dimuth Karunaratne-led side, Jadeja said that it is tough to fathom the passing of former Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper.
“It was a shocking news. The moment I heard it, I was so sad and I wasn’t feeling well. I found it difficult to believe that this can be true,” the southpaw said in the press conference after Day 2’s play.
Jadeja was a 19-year-old youngster when he met Warne. The spin-wizard trusted in Under-19 World Cup-winner’s finishing abilities and gave him an important role in Royals’ lineup that went on to win the trophy.
“When I first met him in 2008, he was already a legend and I couldn’t believe that I would be playing alongside a player of Shane Warne’s stature," said the left-handed batter who broke Kapil Dev’s record in Mohali Test.
"We were just coming out of our U-19s and to share the dressing room with Warne was a huge thing for youngsters like us. He gave me a huge platform and post U-19, it was a direct entry into the IPL,” the 33-year-old recalled.
Jadeja’s unbeaten 175 put India in a strong position in the ongoing first Test of the two-Test series. After his heroics with the bat, the left-arm spinner got the wicket of Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.
The all-rounder had a chance to score his maiden Test double hundred. Skipper Rohit Sharma sent Kuldeep Yadav during the break with a message about number of overs he has to get to the 200-run mark. However, Jadeja did not care about personal milestones and asked Kuldeep to convey that Rohit can declare the innings as the pitch offered variable pace and bounce.
"I also told them that there is variable bounce and deliveries have started turning. So I sent a message that there is something on offer from the strip and I suggested that we should put them in to bat now itself.
"They were already tired fielding for nearly quarter to two days (five sessions).
"Since they were tired, it was not easy to play the big shots straightaway and bat for long hours. So plan was to declare quickly and exploit the fatigue of the opposition batters," the Saurashtra-born cricketer explained.
