India’s left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja thinks victories at home counts for little. Now, team’s goal is winning overseas. They get ready for four-Test series against West Indies.
“Nowadays, all people care about is how much you have won overseas in Tests and ODIs. So our focus is on that and we want to win here in the West Indies,” said Jadeja.
“Everyone says that we win easily in India, so we want to change that thinking. We are a young side and each one of us is eager to win in overseas conditions. Fitness and energy are good in this side and the preparation has been good. We are looking forward to winning this Test series in the West Indies,” he added.
Jadeja last played Test match against South Africa at home. He said that it was good to be a part of the five day matches again. “It feels good to be playing in the longer format after a long time. You have to be match and also fit for bowling, and I have been working on it. The way I bowled, felt like I am building towards it and getting back to my full fitness. The wicket was turning slow but there was good bounce available for us,” he said.
Like Ashwin, the left-arm spinner is also bracing up for tough humid conditions in the Caribbean islands. “Mentally, we have to be prepared for hot and humid conditions here. But they are similar to the ones we experience when playing in the Indian summer. So our focus is on thinking about match situations and match conditions. We have bowled as a unit today and we haven’t given away too many runs, which has been our main focus,” he told.
This series will be Anil Kumble s first assignment as the Indian coach and he has already started making an impression on the young team. “He has told me to work on my strengths. We have had a long chat about bowling in these conditions, about how wickets might not come easily and it is important to keep up the focus and body language when that happens,” Jadeja said.