'Positive' Jadeja geared up for India role

It was Rajasthan Royals' second game in the IPL, against Kings XI Punjab. Under pressure, having lost their opening encounter in Delhi, they were 99 for 4 chasing 167 when Ravindra Jadeja walked in. Shane Watson had gained the upper hand over the bowlers, but needed someone to stay at the other end. With Shane Warne to follow, Rajasthan couldn't afford to lose wickets. Jadeja was up to the task, dealing with Brett Lee and Co in a mature manner.

That game, according to Jadeja, allowed him to set his sights high. Having to tackle the likes of Lee, Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan and James Hopes, the young allrounder from Saurashtra walked in with only one aim: not to return before he could finish off the game. His unbeaten 36 came in a valuable 69-run partnership with Watson, and marked the start of Rajasthan's march to the championship.

"That was my first big game, facing an all-out international attack but I enjoyed it every bit. Hitting two boundaries off a Lee over was an enjoyable experience," Jadeja said, over the phone from his native Jamnagar, after hearing the news of his selection in India's squad to Sri Lanka for five ODIs and one Twenty20 international.

"After such a good Ranji season I hoped my name would be in the reckoning," Jadeja said. He was easily the best allrounder in the tournament: Jadeja's 42 wickets made him the joint leading wicket-taker alongside Mumbai's Dhawal Kulkarni and he finished sixth on the run-charts, with 739 at 67.18.

A month before the IPL, Jadeja had played his hand in another triumph, taking two wickets in the Under-19 World Cup final against South Africa. Things have changed a lot for Jadeja, who had struggled in the previous Ranji Trophy season, with only 195 runs and nine wickets in his six games.

Speaking to the likes of Dav Whatmore and Pravin Amre helped him immensely. "The big change was in my batting, where I focused on playing along the ground rather than going for the big hits, which I used to do last year. Whatmore, who was the coach for India Under-19 and then for India A, pointed out that my back-swing was coming from the outside so if I could straighten it I could add more power to my strokes."

Amre, who was the coach at the NCA as well as the India A team that played in the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia, told him that his back foot needed to go across and not side-on if he needed to be in the right position while hitting his shots. "That has played a big role in my success this year as I got a high amount of my runs from the back-foot shots," Jadeja said.

Cheteshwar Pujara, Saurashtra's top-run getter and third overall in the Ranji Trophy this season, feels Jadeja has grown more patient and that has allowed him to prosper. Pujara said Jadeja's strong point was his cheerful attitude in any situation. "He is always enthusiastic. He brings in a lot of energy," Pujara said of his team-mate, with whom he had added an unbroken stand of 520, the highest in a first-class match in India.

When Jadeja enters the ground, he needs to dominate. "I like to keep my attitude positive always. If there is a situation where the team needs me I like to dominate and finish things off and leave nothing for the next man. I tell myself it is me who needs to perform and not someone else."

That positive attitude played a huge role in Saurashtra making it to their second straight Ranji Trophy semi-final this season. Saurashtra had been in a close battle with Delhi to enter the knockout stage. In the game against Delhi at home, the visitors were hunting for a win and had the upper hand when Saurashtra were reduced to 83 for 4, with two key batsmen, Shitanshu Kotak and Pujara, dismissed. But that didn't deter Jadeja, who pieced together a stubborn 143 and was the last man out, robbing Delhi of the time needed to force a win.

In the final league game against Hyderabad, Saurashtra needed a victory to nose ahead of Delhi, but were bundled out for 133 in the first innings and struggled in the second too, finishing with 183 and setting Hyderabad 177 for victory. However, Jadeja finished off the match with seven wickets in the second innings.

With such efforts behind him, Jadeja is confident he can play the role of an allrounder in the Indian team if given an opportunity. "I look at myself as an allrounder and I am confident I can score those 50-60 runs in the middle order and play my hand with the ball and take a few quick wickets in the middle overs."