London: India’s Ravindra Jadeja acknowledges the applause from the crowd after scoring fifty runs during the Cricket World Cup warm-up match. (Source: AP)Despite India’s top-order collapsing early in the first practice match for the 2011 champions, Ravindra Jadeja assured that there is ‘nothing to worry’ ahead of Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. India went down by six wickets in the warm-up match against New Zealand at the Oval on Saturday.
Ravindra Jadeja top-scored with 54 as India suffered an early collapse, getting all out for 179 in 39.2 overs after electing to bat. Jadeja’s half-century and Hardik Pandya’s 37-ball 30 were the only substantial scores.
Calling it ‘one bad match’, Jadeja said during the post match press conference, “This is our first game, it is just one game and we can’t judge players on one bad innings, one bad match. So nothing to worry as a batting unit,” Jadeja told reporters at the post-match press conference.”
“It is always difficult in England, you are coming from India, where you play in flat wicket … we still have time to work on it. There is nothing to worry, just keep playing good cricket. As a batting unit we will work harder on our batting skills, everyone has a lot of experience, so nothing to worry,” he added.
“It was typical English conditions, wicket was soft initially but it got better as day progressed. We hope we don’t get this much amount of grass and get a better wicket to bat in the World cup,” he said.
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On India’s decision to bat first, Jadeja said, “We knew there will be seaming conditions, so we decided to bat to face tough conditions because if we bat in such conditions it will be easy for batsmen in actual matches. We took it as a challenge. We will do well, we have no doubt.”
On his knock at the Oval, Jadeja said, “Everywhere I play, I will continue doing what I do. I will not put pressure on myself thinking about the world cup, will try to keep it simple,” he said. “I had a lot of time, there were lot of overs. So I was talking to myself to not get the shot selection wrong. There was no rush. I knew if I can clear the initial overs, it will be helpful for me and that is what happened.”
“I was working on my batting during IPL. Whenever I get a chance, I go to the nets and work on technique and shot selection,” he added.
