Ravindra Jadeja on his maiden Test hundred: “It’s been a special moment”

Ravindra Jadeja on his maiden Test hundred: Jadeja seemed to be relieved after scoring his first international hundred.

The nature of sport at the international level is such that reaching out to milestones can become an onerous task, at times. One can understand the burden carried by someone, who, after scoring three triple centuries in domestic cricket, fails to score an international century for nine years.

When Jadeja scored his maiden Test century against West Indies in front of his home crowd yesterday, it was undoubtedly a relieving moment for the 29-year all-rounder who made his comeback into the playing eleven in his last Test.

“After nine years of intensive cricket, I’m scoring a hundred. It’s been a special moment. Every time I reach 70 or 80, I think about the hundred. Today, I finally crossed the line. I have scored big hundreds in domestic cricket as well. I always knew I could do it. Today I was just thinking that I need to score the hundred”, Jadeja was quoted after achieving the feat.

On making a surprising comeback into the One-Day side during the recently concluded Asia Cup, Jadeja said that it isn’t easy to just walk into the team after so long and start performing from the word go. “I was playing (one-day cricket) after 15 months (in the Asia Cup), I was away from ODI cricket. I got an opportunity in the Asia Cup, got a wicket in the first game.

“Sometimes you bowl well and don’t get wickets. I got an opportunity at a crucial time and I took four wickets in the first game and then played two crucial innings. Hopefully, I can continue playing well”, he added.

Prithvi Shaw, one of the three centurions from India’s first innings, had day before yesterday dedicated his century to his father. Much like that, Jadeja disclosed that he would want to dedicate this innings to his mother. “Want to dedicate this century to my mother. It was her dream that I play for India. Today she is no more. This is a special day. I can’t gift anything bigger than this to anyone. So this century is for my mother”, he further added.

Jadeja had an opportunity to score a hundred at The Oval as well. However, lack of support from the other end saw him being stranded on 86* (156). For a moment, the same reason could have become a hindrance yesterday as well but that was not to be.

Rewinding the clock to the match at The Oval, Jadeja said, “Anderson and Broad were bowling really well, the ball was swinging, and clouds were there, so you don’t have anything in your favour.”

Apart from the century and a wicket on the first ball that he bowled, Jadeja was also involved in running out Shimron Hetmyer, albeit in a comical way. On being asked about why he didn’t throw initially, Jadeja answered, “Both batsmen were at the same end, so I thought I can get him easily.

“And I kept walking, and suddenly I saw him running and I had to throw the ball at the stumps. It was funny. I can’t imagine that (if I’d missed the stumps). I knew if I could go close to the stumps, I could get him.”

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