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Ravindra Jadeja recalled his journey as he experienced a "special" moment after taking his 300th Test wicket for India during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur.
Jadeja's wait for his 300th Test wicket ended after he outwitted Khaled Ahmed to achieve the landmark feat. In a career that has spanned over for more than a decade, Jadeja has produced memorable performances in the longest format of cricket. The seasoned all-rounder is known for his speciality in limited-overs cricket. For Jadeja, the Test was a format in which he had to improve his skills to become a mainstay in a competitive environment. "It's special. I've been playing Test cricket for 10 years, and I've finally reached this milestone. Feeling proud of myself. Always happy and excited whenever I wear the Indian jersey. As a youngster, I started in white ball cricket. Everyone used to say I'm a white-ball specialist. Gradually, I improved my game, and it has paid off in the last few years," Jadeja said at the end of day four's play. Following his record-breaking moment, Jadeja is now one of 11 players with the double of scoring 3000-plus runs and 300-plus scalps in Test cricket. He became the second quickest to achieve the feat in terms of matches, behind England's Ian Botham (72). When Jadeja takes the bat in his hand, his sole intention is to get an understanding of the situation, give himself time, and take it ball by ball. "When I go for batting, I always look to give myself some time and understand the situation. I react to the ball and play my shots," Jadeja added. In a rain-curtailed Test, India raised hopes of pushing for a result even though all signs pointed towards a draw. With an approach of playing England's 'Bazball' in the Indian way, India's batters went all guns blazing right from the first over. Skipper Rohit Sharma dealt with sixes, while Yashasvi Jaiswal showed aggression in a controlled manner. The base was set, and the rest of the batters played their part to produce a run-scoring fest, an unlikely sight in red-ball cricket. India declared on 285/9, taking a 52-run lead over the visitors. With a handful of overs left, Bangladesh stepped up to see off the day without sustaining much damage. However, Ravichandran Ashwin wasn't in the mood to let Bangladesh get off the hook easily. His art with the ball and the mechanics of spinning the ball were enough to remove Zakir Hasan and Hasan Mahmud. With Bangladesh trailing by 26 runs and still possessing eight wickets in hand, Jadeja is hopeful that India will look to bowl the visitors out early on the final day. "We batted very well. Whatever we planned, we batted accordingly. Hopefully, we get them out as early as possible," Jadeja concluded. (ANI)
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