|
Ravindra Jadeja during the fourth day of the second Test cricket match between India and South Africa, at ACA Stadium, Barsapara in Guwahati. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja said on Tuesday that the likely series loss to South Africa will not influence India’s next Test assignment in Sri Lanka in August next year. He added that managing to draw the second Test would feel like a "win" for the young side.India are on the verge of losing the two-Test series, with a target of 549 to chase on the final day."I don't think it will affect the next series. But, as a cricketer, nobody wants to lose the series, especially in India. So, hopefully, we will try our best cricket. We will try to put our best foot forward tomorrow," Jadeja, who has taken seven wickets in the match, said after fourth day's play."Hopefully, we will try and save the Test match. So that, at least, I know even if we aren't winning the series at least, we are able to draw the match, which is going to be a win-win situation for us."Jadeja, who turns 37 in a few weeks, said a defeat will still help the younger players in the squad learn. India’s XI includes several players early in their Test careers — Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar."Look, the youngsters in the team, I think, they are in a learning phase. Their careers are starting. So, in international cricket, no matter what format you play, it's not easy. No matter what format you play, it's always a bit challenging."He said the inexperience of young players attracts more attention when the team loses at home."So, in India, when a situation like this happens, and you play 3-4 youngsters in the team, it feels like the whole team is young and inexperienced. And that gets highlighted. But, when India wins in home condition, people think that it's not a big deal. But, if you lose a series in India, it becomes a very big deal," the all-rounder said."For a youngster, it's a learning phase. If they handle this situation well, they will mature as players. And, India's future will be better."Jadeja said India got the tough end of the conditions after batting first."See, honestly, as a bowler, when we were bowling for the first two days, there were no marks on the wicket. The wicket was shining like a mirror. And, when they (South Africa) came to bowl, because of the wicket taken by the fast bowler, the spinners came into play more. And, their ball was turning and bouncing," he said.He added that once India conceded a 288-run first-innings lead, South Africa’s batters played without pressure."So, as I said, the situation matters a lot in cricket. If it were the other way around, if we were 300 runs ahead and they came to bat, then it's possible that we would have won by a large margin."Jadeja said the batters need to ignore the first four days and focus only on the final day."For us, tomorrow will be very important as a batting unit that we keep ourselves in a positive frame of mind and try to play the whole day."
|
