Captain, selectors and coach talked to me about not being picked for Australia ODIs, says Jadeja

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) Ravindra Jadeja, India’s vice-captain for the ongoing Test series against West Indies, opened up about his omission from the ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, saying that the captain, selectors and coach did speak to him over not being picked for the series.

He added that despite not being in the touring party to Australia, he remains focused on contributing whenever given an opportunity. Jadeja took three wickets on day two of the second Test in New Delhi, and played a key role in reducing West Indies to 140/4 at stumps, with the visitors still trailing by 378 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Jadeja, the highly experienced left-arm spin bowling all-rounder, has featured in 204 ODIs and has taken 231 wickets while scoring 2,806 runs. “I don't have it in my hands. I want to play, but at the end of the day, the team management, selectors, coach, and captain have their own thoughts.”

“Why didn't I get selected for this series? There must be a reason behind it, and they talked to me. It's not like they surprised me when I found out that I wasn't selected. It's a good thing that the captain, selector, and coach talked to me about the reasons behind it,” Jadeja said in the post-day press conference.

Jadeja, who ended his T20I career as a T20 World Cup winner in 2024, added that representing India in major tournaments still remains a goal, especially after the narrow miss in the last ODI World Cup in India in 2023, where the side finished runners-up to Australia.

“I am happy whenever I get a chance, as I will try to do what I have been doing for so many years. If I get a chance to play in a major tournament like the World Cup, then it will be a good thing for Indian cricket. Everyone's dream is to win the World Cup. Last time, we missed out on it by a whisker. If we can win this time, then we will fulfill our dreams,” he said.

Jadeja also spoke about whether he ever thinks about achieving personal milestones and stated that the team’s success remains his utmost priority. “I don't lie – sometimes I think about it and I feel good for a while. But when it happens, I feel the same and don't feel anything is new.”

“More than my personal milestone, I think about the team's performance – like is the team winning? Is it an impactful performance from me? My mindset is like this. If I run or take wickets, does it impact the winning of the team or not? That is more important.”

“If you make runs or pick wickets and the team loses, it doesn't matter. When you do an impactful performance and the team wins, especially in ICC tournaments, WTC and if we win the finals by doing well as a team, and my performance is good, then I feel satisfied.”

As one of the seniormost figures in the Test setup, Jadeja, who was made vice-captain for the series against the West Indies due to Rishabh Pant recovering from a fractured right foot, said he is happy to guide younger players and adapt to the team’s needs as per a given situation.

“If there is a wicket for batting, then I become a batsman. If there is a wicket for bowling, then I become a bowler – it’s simple. I don't think about captains and captaincy – that time has gone way too early now.”

“Now, as much as possible, what the team needs, I do as per that. Whether it is in batting, like Jaiswal comes and talks to me, or Kuldeep comes and asks about bowling, I tell them what can be possible and give my opinion to them on anything they ask. I am very happy with whatever I have now.”

--IANS

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