Bowling in a Ranji game helps Jadeja find ODI continuity

Jadeja now has six wickets across the two ODIs © BCCI
Two games into the last three ODIs before the Champions Trophy, Ravindra Jadeja has made a seamless return to the format. The all-rounder's last 50-over fixture was the World Cup final in Ahmedabad on November 19, 2023. He opted to retire from T20Is after the World Cup glory in 2024, leaving him without any white-ball action since that tournament finished towards the end of June.

However, the Indian management's decision to push the senior team regulars to feature in domestic cricket after the Border-Gavaskar series defeat went on to benefit the all-rounder.

"It feels really good. I am playing (50-over format) after almost two years (15 months)... after the 2023 World Cup. In this format, there's a need to adapt quickly," Jadeja said after India's series-clinching win in Cuttack on Saturday (February 10).

Jadeja bowled exactly 30 overs in the Ranji fixture against Delhi in January, returning figures of 17.4-2-66-5 and 12.2-1-38-7 across the two innings.

"I believe playing in the one domestic game helped me, because in that game I bowled 30 overs because of which my rhythm was intact. I try to bowl almost the same line and length in one-dayers like I do in Tests. So the continuity was there because of the domestic game I played, and it helped me."

Jadeja brought his miserly knack from Tests to the ODIs in both Nagpur and Cuttack, playing a big role in England's inability to consolidate their starts.

In Nagpur, his accuracy with lines cramped the England batters throughout as they could only pick 26 runs from his 9 overs and ended with an under-par total. He also got the better of Root and stopped half-centurion Jacob Bethell in his tracks. In Cuttack, England showed marginally better batting application with Root leading the way but once again Jadeja dismissed him - fifth time in 11 innings, to derail the visitors. Before that, he took out Ben Duckett, luring him into a false shot after the England opener had scored a tone-setting 65.

Jadeja now has six wickets - the most - at an economy rate of 3.21 - the best - in the series so far.