Jadeja took injections to bat on Day 5 in Sydney
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has come up with an interesting revelation, days after India won the Border-Gavaskar series Down Under. Speaking to Sports Today, the 32-year-old said he had taken an injection to bat on Day 5 of the drawn SCG Test. Notably, Jadeja didn't take the field in second innings after getting struck on his thumb while batting. Here is more.
"I was padded up. Had taken the injection as well. I was just thinking that I would bat for 10-15 overs at least and mentally planning how the innings would pan out, which shots to play because it wasn't possible for me to play all kinds of shots with pain. I was also calculating how to tackle the deliveries from fast bowlers," Jadeja said.
In the first innings, Jadeja continued to bat even after sustaining a blow on his thumb while batting. He returned unbeaten (28*) as India were bundled out on 244. Jadeja, who was then sent for scans, didn't bowl in the second innings. Although he had taken injections, he didn't have to bat as Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin helped India steal a historic draw.
Reflecting on the match-saving partnership, Jadeja said, "I had a talk with management that I would bat only if India managed to reach a point from where the match could be won. Pujara and Rishabh Pant were batting well, they formed a partnership. We even felt that we could win the game. We had to play for a draw from there on," he added.
On the deciding day of SCG Test, Team India held off the Australian bowlers while chasing a mammoth 407. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side batted out as many as 131 overs in the fourth innings to salvage a memorable draw. The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara (77) and Rishabh Pant (97) gave a testament of grit. Eventually, Vihari (23*) and Ashwin (39*) denied Australia a win.
After the match, it was reported that Jadeja has been ruled out of the Birsbane Test with a dislocated thumb. He was replaced by all-rounder Washington Sundar for the match. Meanwhile, the former will also miss the impending Test series against England at home.
"There was pain, but I thought it must have been the impact of the ball that hit my thumb. So I continued batting with that thought. But when I left the field and scans were done, then we got to know that it's a broken thumb. If I had to bat for the team in this situation I definitely would have," Jadeja concluded.
