Jadeja: ‘I look at every match as a huge opportunity’

The dynamic all-rounder revealed that he was playing some new strokes to be a more confident batsman.

Jadeja: "I will have to try and do well for myself, not for anyone else,” he pointed out."

Ravindra Jadeja says he doesn’t need to prove his cricketing skills to anyone.  “I don’t want to look at myself as someone who is on a comeback trail. There is nothing more to prove, being second highest wicket-taker in 2017 from India with 54 victims. All I look for is to give off my best whenever I get a chance,” said the mercurial 29-year-old Saurashtra all-rounder here on Wednesday.

“It is really tough to make it to the Indian team. But, at the same time, it is also good to have healthy competition. This is good for Indian cricket. It will make you push your limits and keep improving as a complete cricketer.

"You have to pull up your socks or else you will stay where you are,” said Jadeja, whose last ODI appearance was against West Indies in Kingston last July.

“Definitely, to be in the Indian team at the earliest is my biggest goal now. I should create the opportunities to achieve this,” he said.

“The wrist spinners are doing a wonderful job in one-dayers. For them, two variations — the one that spins away and the one that comes back into the batsman — come naturally.

"It is more difficult for the finger spinners and not easy on every wicket. But, it doesn’t mean it is the end of the road for bowlers like me,” he explained.

Jadeja revealed that he was playing some new strokes to be a more confident batsman.

READ: Leg-spin is a massive thing I'm trying, says Ashwin

“It is all about getting chances. One should remember that I was a part of the Indian team in the South Africa Test series and had done reasonably against Sri Lanka in the preceding series at home,” said Jadeja.

“There is always scope to work on my all-round skills. I will have to try and do well for myself, not for anyone else,” he pointed out.

“Yes, I am aware that it is another fresh challenge to perform really well in every event I compete — be it Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL or any tournament that I play. I don’t take pressure by thinking too much. I look at every single match as a huge opportunity. I am confident about my skills,” said Jadeja.

On off-spinner R. Ashwin trying out leg-spin in the forthcoming IPL, Jadeja felt it was important to have the surprise element in one’s package. “You need to be smart, innovative and have the variations to do something different to keep the batsmen guessing,” he said.