ravindra jadeja

India Vs USA: EXCLUSIVE: 18 years later, USA all-rounder Nisarg Patel aims for reunion with Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago011 mins

NEW DELHI: USA all-rounder Nisarg Patel was a mere 18 years old when he travelled to Sri Lanka for the Under-19 World Cup in 2006. The tournament had prominent players from various nations, including the likes of current Indian captain Rohit Sharma and star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.The USA team, placed in Group B with Australia, the West Indies, and South Africa, played three matches but unfortunately lost all of them, leading to an early exit from the tournament.T20 World Cup Schedule | Points TableDespite the disappointing outcome, Nisarg had the opportunity to meet the entire Indian squad, exchanging greetings with Rohit and Jadeja before returning to the United States.Now, 18 years later, Nisarg, who is part of the senior USA team, is eagerly anticipating a reunion with Rohit and Jadeja. India and the USA are set to face off in their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday.With two wins in two matches, India are well placed to make the Super Eights, while the USA will have to win one of the two remaining matches – vs India or Ireland – to move to the next stage of the mega event. TimesofIndia.com caught up with Nisarg, who played 41 ODIs and 21 T20Is for the USA so far and spoke about meeting young Rohit and Jadeja during the U-19 World Cup, cricket in the US, drop-in pitches, clash against India, and much more…The USA’s performance in the T20 World Cup has been remarkable…We are very excited. We have a big opportunity to represent the US on such a grand stage. There’s nothing bigger for players than representing their country in the World Cup, and we are doing just that. We have the chance to play against big teams – Pakistan and now India. We have played against Ireland many times and also against Canada. But this is a different experience altogether. This is special for us.How does cricket’s popularity fare in the USA, a nation renowned for its passion for NBA, Baseball, and NFL?People have come in huge numbers to witness our matches. There is a lot of buzz. It is an opportunity to bring the whole community together. As players, we just want to go and play cricket and enjoy every moment. That’s it. It’s the first time we have got the opportunity to play in such a big event like this, and we are giving our best. All I want to say is that we all (the US team) are enjoying our cricket. US cricket is doing really well. USA all-rounder Nisarg Patel (AFP Photo) After defeating Pakistan, the USA’s upcoming match is against India. Do you have your sights set on any specific Indian player’s wicket?I don’t specifically target players. As a player, I love to contribute to my team’s victory. It’s a very short format game. Whether it’s keeping it tight, bowling good overs, taking crucial wickets, putting brakes on runs, scoring runs, inflicting runouts, or keeping a batsman in check, I just love it. Obviously, I’d love to dismiss Virat Kohli or take Rohit’s wicket. But it all depends on when I’ll be bowling – in the Powerplay or after. I thrive in all situations. I met and interacted with Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja during the 2006 U19 World Cup and now look forward to meeting them again.Could you highlight two pivotal players from the Indian squad?Rohit Sharma. He can perform anywhere. And in bowling, none other than Bumrah. Give him any condition or situation, he will take wickets and win you the match. He’s that type of player.Your India connection?My cricketing journey started in India. I was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and studied in a boarding school in Vapi. I played most of my cricket in Ahmedabad before relocating to the US in 2003. I began playing cricket in the US and received my first major opportunity to represent the USA in the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2006. I had the chance to compete against teams like Australia and South Africa, facing players such as David Warner, Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade, and many more. During the World Cup, I had the privilege of meeting and interacting with Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja as well. Experiencing international cricket at such a young age was invaluable. Subsequently, I was selected for the senior USA team and have since played around 70-80 matches for them. I aspire to continue representing the USA team for as long as possible.Who is your inspiration and why?I started playing during the era of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid. Initially, I admired Dada (Ganguly). He was my inspiration and a true leader. As time passed, I witnessed the era of players like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, and Virat Kohli. I greatly admire MS Dhoni. I appreciate the way he conducts himself on and off the field, how he handles players, and his ability to turn matches with his batting prowess. He is simply amazing and incredibly down-to-earth. He has contributed immensely to cricket.In cricket, being an all-rounder, I look up to Ravindra Jadeja. I play a similar role to him, being a left-arm spinner and a middle-order batsman. I closely watch and follow his game. I am eagerly looking forward to meeting him.Could you share insights from your meeting with batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and the legendary Shane Warne?When the Legends Masters League took place in the USA, the great Shane Warne and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar were part of that league. We had the opportunity to meet them and learn valuable cricket lessons. I served as a net bowler in that league, bowling to the likes of Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, and many other legendary players. I learned a lot from their experiences.What are your thoughts on the drop-in pitches?I’ve never played on drop-in pitches before. This is our first time. All I’ve heard is that they are true wickets. They benefit…

T20 World Cup: Does India having four spinners feel like a luxury? | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago09 mins

Experts, fans and analysts point out that by selecting four spinners in India’s squad of 15 for the T20 World Cup, the selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, have picked one spinner too many. “Another fast bowler, perhaps” or “Rinku Singh, surely” were words that formed part of their analysis.It was clear that Rohit Sharma wanted four spinners, and his mind about who would feature in his bowling attack (two allrounders, also left-arm-spinners, in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, and two wrist spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav) was made up before the IPL. ALSO SEE: T20 World Cup Schedule Morning starts, where dew would not play much of a role was one of the reasons cited. “I definitely wanted four spinners. We’ve played a lot of cricket there. We know what the conditions are like. With morning starts at 10-10.30am, there’s a little bit of technical aspect involved in this,” skipper Rohit had said in Mumbai when the team was picked.That technical aspect could be the fact that India are expected to qualify for the super-eights and all the games from that stage will be played in the West Indies and the general belief is that the pitches there will be spin-friendly. Former India manager and Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner Sunil Subramanian, also Indian legend R Ashwin’s coach, feels that way. “India may have picked one spin-bowling allrounder too many. Rinku Singh for Axar and Khaleel Ahmed for vice-captain Hardik would have balanced the side better. There is no way both wrist spinners will play, especially in Nassau County in New York. It is a mickey mouse ground with the straight boundary being 55 metres only. Also, it is a drop-in pitch. Against Pakistan, they may play with only one spinner and that could be Jadeja as they may want to pack the side with pacers who can execute yorkers,” he told TOI. Subramanian was part of the team between 2017 and 2019, where India played both Kuldeep and Chahal in most white-ball games, with success. Will we see that happening in the T20 World Cup?“The reason both the wrist spinners featured in the playing XI was because both Jadeja and Ashwin were not able to contain the flow of runs in the middle-overs and were not able to pick wickets,” Subramanian revealed. The ‘Kul-Cha’ combo, as it was called, was a run-away success. They played in 15 T20I games together, including four of the five matches in the West Indies in 2023 and India ended up victorious in 11 of them. In those 15 games, Kuldeep picked 29 wickets while Chahal picked 23. Will they go back to that formula? “Only if they are in a must-win situation. If Hardik is unable to bowl four overs and if one of the pacers gets hit, that may happen. But only in the West Indies leg of the tournament. The only other way to play both wrist spinners is by dropping Jaiswal and opening with Kohli and Rohit. They will not do that. They will err on the side of caution,” Subramanian stressed. India’s batting coach till the 2019 World Cup, who was with the team in the Kul-Cha era, and former India allrounder Sanjay Bangar, also does not see both Kuldeep and Chahal playing together.“It will be Jadeja and Kuldeep to start with. Two wrist spinners won’t feature in the same XI,” opined Bangar. Interestingly, he does not see India being light on pace bowling options either. “Even if we had picked an extra pacer, he might not have played. Bumrah, Siraj/Arshdeep and Hardik can go through the tournament unchanged,” he told TOI.Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop, a respected voice in commentary, who is armed with local knowledge of the conditions, felt India’s four-spinner theory could be a luxury while acknowledging spin will play a part in the tournament. His assessment can be supported by the fact that in all CPLT20 matches so far, featuring 692 innings, pacers have taken 2384 wickets at a strike rate of 131.31 and an economy of 8.38. Spinners have grabbed 1565 wickets at a better strike-rate of 111.60 and a lower economy of 6.85.“The pitches for the World Cup may be slightly different. So, I think it’s a luxury to have four spinners rather than it being a necessity,” he told official broadcasters Star Sports.Aaron Finch, the man who led Australia to the title in the UAE in 2021 feels India may have “backed themselves into a corner.” “I had Rinku in there and only two spinners. I had the extra quick because of the inconsistency that we have seen with everyone barring Jasprit Bumrah. And if they want to play three spinners, one of them must bowl in the powerplay. I don’t see any of those guys doing it consistently,” Finch analysed while speaking to Star Sports.Now let’s look at the spin-bowling options of other teams expected to feature in the super-eights.Sri Lanka have six, England and New Zealand have five, Bangladesh have four and West Indies, Australia, and South Africa three. Does India having four feel like a luxury? Time will tell.

‘Biggest threat India have taken a risk with…’: Michael Clarke warns Rohit Sharma & Co | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: India’s decision of selecting four spinners in their squad for the T20 World Cup was questioned with skipper Rohit Sharma clarifying that there was a clear strategy behind the move. He emphasized that the decision was not made on a whim but rather as part of a carefully crafted plan.The decision to include four spinners alongside three pacers has elicited varied opinions.Among them, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal represent the wrist-spin department, while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel offer left-arm spin options along with their all-round abilities.Former Australian captain Michael Clarke also voiced his opinion on the issue saying India’s spin-heavy bowling lineup is going to play a decisive role in determining the outcome.“I think India have taken a risk with the squad they have picked – heavily reliant on spin, very different from Australia. But in the conditions that I have played in the Caribbean I think how you play spin is going to be a huge part of whether you succeed or not. India are the biggest threat for me with regards to who is going to win the World Cup,” said Clarke on ESPN.Clarke also noted that India are the favourites, citing the extensive amount of cricket their players have played leading up to the tournament.“If you look at the favourites for the World Cup it’s got to be India just because of the amount of cricket they have played, their preparation has been outstanding. Conditions are different to India but there are a lot of similarities so the players would be used to that,” he added.

Kumar Sangakkara weighs in on Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal in CSK vs RR

Danijones6 months ago01 mins

Kumar Sangakkara weighs in on Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal in CSK vs RR

Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya come to the party in time for T20 World Cup… albeit just

Danijones6 months ago08 mins

When India’s national selectors named the 15 for next month’s T20 World Cup exactly a week back, it was met largely with the acknowledgement that, given the circumstances, they had picked the best possible squad. There was, however, a lingering feeling that many in that party had yet to hit their straps; pedigree and reputation are excellent back-ups, but form is essential too, especially heading into the showpiece event of the cricketing year. Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya are peaking at the right time(AFP-ANI) Only skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal and Shivam Dube had, at the time, showcased consistency in performance. The rest had displayed sporadic flashes of brilliance, but it was clear that they were still some way short of their best. It wasn’t necessarily a matter of concern, but how nice it would be if they could carry some momentum and confidence into the big bash, right? Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Over the last few days, the mood in the country has lifted somewhat with more and more of the World Cup squad shedding lean trots and putting their hand up. While Rohit, Chahal and Dube have suffered a dip in form, understandable given the fluid and dynamic nature of the T20 game in general and the IPL in particular with its travel and recovery demands, Kohli and Bumrah have continued to flourish. It is from the return to match-winning avatars of many others that stems the optimism that India won’t be merely paper tigers when the tournament begins in the United States in three and a half weeks’ time. Several key cogs of the wheel are beginning to rediscover their mojo, none more breathtakingly than Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s No. 1 T20 batter. Suryakumar missed Mumbai Indians’ first two matches of what has been a dreadful campaign after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. His comeback game produced a second-ball duck, and even though he backed it up with a typically exuberant half-century, he seldom put two good innings together. On Monday night at the Wankhede Stadium, against a versatile Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling group, the best of Suryakumar made a dramatic appearance. The target – 174 – was middling but MI had failed to hunt down 169 at the same venue a couple of nights back, against Kolkata Knight Riders, despite a Suryakumar fifty. When he walked out at No. 4, the chase was in disarray at 31 for two, which became 31 for three in the space of five more deliveries. As much as MI needed Suryakumar to fire for pride, Indian fans willed him to turn the clock back, their eyes already trained on the T20 World Cup. The effervescent right-hander didn’t disappoint. There were streaky strokes early on as the ball nipped around, but once he got inside the line and whip-flicked the towering Marco Jansen over fine-leg, it was as if a switch had been hit. The Suryakumar of old, fluent and composed and a fraction of a second earlier on the ball than most others, toyed with the bowling; his dominance is evident from the fact that during the unbroken fourth-wicket alliance of 143 that took MI home, Tilak Varma’s contribution was just 37 (off 32). Varma is MI’s leading scorer this season (384, strike-rate 147.12); he was totally shaded with his partner smashing 102 off just 51. Welcome back, SKY, do we say? Suryakumar’s pyrotechnics came on the back of a tidy spell from Hardik Pandya, crucial to India’s fortunes in his capacity as the designated all-rounder. Pandya has had a horror first season as MI skipper, stumbling from one defeat to another, his decision-making and lack of individual contributions competing for attention of the unwanted variety. Despite his nonchalant exterior, he must have been hurting inside; channeling his angst, he held his own against inarguably the most destructive top order of the competition, three for 31 from four tidy overs indicating that, perhaps, Pandya’s worst days are behind him. Suryakumar and Pandya are the latest in a series of India’s World Cup-bound players making their presence felt. Ravindra Jadeja, who has had only a decent tournament thus far, turned in a command all-rounder performance for Chennai Super Kings against Punjab Kings on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Mohammed Siraj confirmed that he has shaken off fatigue with two Powerplay wickets on his way to the Player of the Match award during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s rout of Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru. While Rohit will be mindful of finishing the tournament strongly – he has two more opportunities to do so – he will have taken heart from several of his first-choice personnel coming into their own at the most opportune time. Not least, his MI colleagues Suryakumar and World Cup deputy Pandya.

Pakistan targets right T20 combination against understrength New Zealand | Cricket

“Want to take some tips from Jadeja”: USA’s Nisarg Patel on taking advice from Indian cricketer

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

New Delhi [India], : USA cricketer Nisarg Patel revealed former India skipper MS Dhoni is his favourite player but since the 42-year-old has retired from international cricket, he wants to take a few tips from ‘Men in Blue’ all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming T220 World Cup 2024. “Want to take some tips from Jadeja”: USA’s Nisarg Patel on taking advice from Indian cricketer While speaking to ANI, Nisarg said Jadeja is his type of player who is a left-arm spinner and can bat as well. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! “MS Dhoni is my favourite but he is retired now, so I want to take some tips from Ravindra Jadeja since he is my type of player, left arm spinner and can bat also. So even a small tip from him can be very helpful for me,” Nisarg told ANI. Talking about the T20 World Cup 2024, the USA cricketer said they are very excited since they will be playing a World Cup for the first time. “We are very excited. People have been waiting for this T20 World Cup for a long time, even the US cricketers are very excited and it’s a big opportunity for us to play in the World Cup for the first time. Playing against big teams like India and Pakistan is a dream for us and today when our dreams are turning into reality so we are very excited,” he added. “Even if we get five to ten minutes to talk with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah then we will make the most of that opportunity to learn something from them,” Nisarg further added. Earlier on Sunday, USA named their 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup with Corey Anderson is set to join a select list of cricketers to represent two different teams at the global event after being named in USA’s squad. The team will be led by 31-year-old wicket-keeper batter Monank Patel and the USA squad features some familiar names alongside performers from the recent T20I series against Canada, which they won 4-0. Among the other well-known names in the mix are opener Steven Taylor, who leads the USA in runs scored in international cricket, Aaron Jones, and Saurabh Netravalkar, the player with the most caps. The team also includes off-spinner Milind Kumar, who made his debut in the same series. USA squad: Monank Patel , Aaron Jones , Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir. Reserve Players: Gajanand Singh, Juanoy Drysdale and Yasir Mohammad. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

IPL 2024: Ravindra Jadeja’s returns a timely assurance for India

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago06 mins

There was no whirlwind innings, not at least in comparison to what has been passing for absurdly belligerent in this edition of the IPL. Nor did he take the most vital wickets, Tushar Deshpande ticked this box by scalping Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw. Yet in grubby affairs with middling scores, Ravindra Jadeja stands out excelling in doing the mundane—firefighting collapses with balanced batting, wielding tireless control over the ball and throwing himself around to save every run possible. Chennai Super Kings’ Ravindra Jadeja celebrates the wicket of Punjab Kings’ Ashutosh Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings in Dharamshala(AP) The last facet has long been taken for granted. But this may be a good time to once again point out how significant Jadeja’s latest uptick has been for Chennai Super Kings. Wicket-taking was never his forte. But if economy is a suitable indicator of the difficulty to hit a bowler, Jadeja’s 7.26 sits third among all Indian bowlers with at least 200 balls in this IPL, behind Jasprit Bumrah’s 6.25 and Axar Patel’s 7.26. Taking into consideration that he generally comes on after the end of the first Powerplay, that’s a comforting statistic for any franchise. Perhaps more for India, going into a T20 World Cup pretty low on the allrounder quotient because of Shivam Dube’s relative inexperience and Hardik Pandya’s disappointing returns. The possibility of Axar Patel and Jadeja fielded in the same eleven being next to zero, this has been an assuring preview of what can be expected from Jadeja. None of this should deflect from Jadeja’s actual performance as bowler on Sunday—wheeling away, attacking the stumps to not allow any room to maneuver till Punjab Kings finally gave in. The rub of green probably went Jadeja’s way when Sam Curran reached out for a wide ball but couldn’t clear long-off. But enticing Prabhsimran Singh into a lofted shot with a fuller ball is what makes Jadeja such an unpredictable bowler. Jadeja the economical bowler with stifling lengths is one thing, Jadeja the wicket-taking bowler in addition to stifling lengths becomes a different game altogether. Punjab Kings got to experience that side of Jadeja, ratcheting the pressure with every dot, prising out wickets and making life miserable. India will play day games at the T20 World Cup. Which means dew won’t be a factor on slow pitches in the US and Caribbean. So, when you take that into factor, Jadeja’s performance on Monday becomes all the more indicative of how India could stand to benefit. This still doesn’t cover Jadeja’s batting, which statistically speaking, doesn’t set the stage on fire. CSK’s gamble to send him at No 4 thrice in this IPL too has had mixed returns. But when the chips are down, no one probably does a better salvaging job at No 6 than Jadeja. Jadeja knew what he wanted to do. “The wicket was slow, and it was expected to be slow because it was quite warm,” said Jadeja after CSK’s 28-run win on Monday. “Wanted to build a partnership of 30-40 so that we have a platform for the end. My role is to build a partnership if we lose early wickets.” If taking three wickets on a less responsive surface is a trait any team would kill to possess, scoring a 26-ball 43 in an innings where no one else crossed 32 comes a close second. By reverting to the natural order of things—letting Jadeja thrive in a batting role he knows and relishes best—CSK has not only helped themselves come out of a knot but also given Jadeja much-needed simulation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. There may not be any dazzling array of strokes, or a bagful of wickets, but trust Jadeja to quietly get the job done.

WATCH: Team India’s new T20 jersey launched ahead of World Cup | Cricket News

Danijones6 months ago6 months ago02 mins

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

IPL-17 | Ravindra Jadeja’s versatility makes him class act, says Aaron Finch

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja celebrates a wicket during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on May 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has termed India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja a “class player” because of his versatility which brings in a lot of balance in all the teams that he represents. Jadeja scored 40-odd runs and took three wickets in Chennai Super Kings’ victory over Punjab Kings on May 5. “Ravindra Jadeja is such a versatile player, which makes him so effective. With the ball, he would have loved more wickets,” Finch told Star Sports. “He’s been economical, going at under eight per over throughout the tournament. Leading with three wickets today (Sunday), he showed he is an absolute class player.” Finch was impressed that Jadeja returned with fine figures of 3/20 in his full quota of four overs while defending a not-so-big total of 169. “Three wickets for just 20 runs when the Punjab Kings were chasing a total of 170 odd runs is just superb. It just shows why he’s one of the best players in the world,” the Australian said. Finch also spoke highly about Kolkata Knight Riders’ Sunil Narine. The 2021 World T20-winning Australian skipper feels that it is extremely difficult to contain Narine for a long period of time. “It’s truly remarkable, isn’t it? I mean, seeing Sunil Narine stride out to open the batting. “Before this season, you’re thinking, if we can just keep him quiet for a couple of balls, he’ll try and do something and play a big shot. But this season, he’s not only getting off to explosive starts but also batting smartly and seizing control of the innings,” Finch said. The 35-year-old Narine smashed 81 off just 39 balls to power KKR to a comfortable 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday night. In the process, Narine also became the fourth player to score more than 450 runs and take 10 plus wickets in a single IPL edition.

Jadeja says after win over PBKS – India TV

Danijones6 months ago03 mins

Image Source : BCCI/IPL Ravindra Jadeja after the PBKS vs CSK clash. Chennai Super Kings registered an emphatic win over Punjab Kings in their 11th match of the Indian Premier League. After scoring 167/9 in their 20 overs at the slow surface of the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, they restricted PBKS to 139/9 to register a crucial win. After the match, CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who produced a match-winning performance with both bat and the ball, said that the team fell short by 15-20 runs but the team bowled well. “We thought we were 15-20 runs short but we did not bowl loose balls in the power play and in the middle overs,” Jadeja said at the post-match presentation. “The fast bowlers bowled well in the power play. Tushar got two important wickets and then Mitch and me did the job in the middle overs,” he said. Jadeja added that the surface was tricky to bat on in the middle overs. “It was a day game, so the wicket was slow. As usual, it was expected because it was so hot. It (the pitch) always seems flat in the power play. But when the ball gets old, it does not always come on. When playing at a new venue, you don’t know how much it will turn or stop,” Jadeja added. The CSK all-rounder also said that his role was to build partnerships and then go big. “My role as a batter is to build partnerships and then play the big shots towards the end. Sometimes, when we lose wickets in the power play, we do not get momentum. In the matches we win, we play all phases well,” said Jadeja. Meanwhile, Gaikwad also believed that the wicket was slow. “Everyone believed that the wicket was slow and the ball was coming off slow. There was low bounce too. With the start we got, we could have pushed to 180-200. We lost wickets in consecutive balls and then felt 160-170 was probably ten odd runs short,” said Gaikwad.