Ravindra Jadeja of Rajasthan Royals (PTI Photo) Ravindra Jadeja produced a match-winning all-round performance as Rajasthan Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs and the veteran all-rounder later reflected on his efforts with a mixture of clarity, humor and gratitude. Jadeja, who was named man of the match for an unbeaten 43 and impact with the ball, got off to a hearty start. “Yeah, it feels good, you know, to get the man of the match and win the team. So yeah, I feel very good, but before I start, I’d like to dedicate this award to the education minister of Gujarat because she told me yesterday herself that you will do miracles tomorrow. So I want to thank her.” Jadeja’s knock came at a crucial moment as Rajasthan’s top order faltered again. He revealed that the conditions were far from easy and required patience. “Yeah, the wicket wasn’t that easy because the ball was coming down and swinging. So I said let me play as long as possible. And that’s what I was talking about with Donovan and whoever goes next to the bat. So I was just talking to him that we’re going to play longer because you never know in T20 cricket. The last over, the way we like it, we conceded the last thing we thought.” He also explained his approach against Mayank Yadav in the final where Rajasthan managed to finish emphatically. “Yeah, I think with the injury it’s not that easy at that pace. But I was just building my strength and talking to my partner that let’s get back to each other and let’s play some good cricket. Because like I said, on that wicket there was a lot of chop and bounce. So it’s not that easy that you can play any shot at any given time.” There was also a lighter moment when Jadeja spoke about her celebration after dismissing Nicholas Pooran. “Yeah, it’s in my pocket (laughs). Nothing, I just had a random idea and did it.” With the ball, Jadeja highlighted how he adapted to the conditions by changing pace. “No, because the ball was getting a little tight. So I was just thinking, should I bowl faster on this wicket, or should I bowl slow? So I thought, okay, I’ll bowl some slow balls. And then I realized, yeah, if I bowled slow, I could hold on to the wicket a little bit. So that’s what I wanted to do.” He also talked about his specific plans against Mitchell Marsh. “Because the mid-wicket and the long side were a bit shorter compared to the other sides. So I knew he might play that shot at some stage. So I just bowled and mixed it with my pace, a slow, wide, full ball too. He looked at me slowly today.” Jadeja’s performance proved decisive in a game where Rajasthan’s batting once again struggled for rhythm. His late flourish ensured they reached 159 for 6 and the bowlers led by Jofra Archer did the rest as LSG were bowled out for 119. On a night when Rajasthan needed someone to step up, Jadeja delivered with both bat and ball, again underscoring his worth.
