The last five months were quite testing for allrounder Ravindra Jadeja. The star India cricketer’s career took a backseat after he injured his knee during a game against Hong Kong in last year’s Asia Cup in the UAE.
The injury required surgery and that also meant that India would headed into the T20 World Cup without their premier allrounder. Instead of flying to Australia, Jadeja went under the knife and then to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for rehabilitation.
After proving his fitness in a Ranji Trophy game against Tamil Nadu, in which he picked up 7 wickets in the second innings, Jadeja is back in the reckoning for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting Tuesday in Nagpur.
Ahead of the Test series opener, Jadeja gave a peek into thoughts during the rehab phase and how physiotherapists as well as trainers at the NCA helped him get back to full fitness.
“Rehab, training and stuff, are things that you have to do regularly and you do start wondering if you will ever be fully fit. I was watching the World Cup on television and was thinking, ‘Arey yaar, I wish I was there’. These kinds of thoughts come to your mind and they motivate you to go through rehab and training and get back to full fitness quickly,” Jadeja told bcci.tv.
“Physios and the trainers at the NCA worked a lot on my knee. They gave me so much time and even if it was off on Sundays at the NCA, they would especially come for me. They have worked a lot on me. Like, for two, three weeks, I used to be in Bangalore, then I would go back home to freshen up my mind."
“I had to be in Bangalore as much as possible so that it helps me in my faster recovery. But two months post the injury was very tough as I wasn’t able to walk or go somewhere. So, that time was very critical and, in this phase, my friends, and family were always there for me,” Jadeja added.
To prove his match fitness, Jadeja had to play a Ranji Trophy fixture for Saurashtra in their final group-stage game against Tamil Nadu. He bagged a seven-for in the second innings, which resulted in him getting back the confidence he needed as a player after spending a long time on the sidelines, away from the game.
“The first day I went to the ground, I felt a little awkward as I hadn’t gone into the sun for five months as it was indoor training and gym all the time. I had doubts that whether I will be able to sustain myself with my body in 90 hours of play. But the first day was very tough and Chennai’s heat is known to all,” Jadeja further said.
(With Agency Inputs)
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