IND vs NZ third Test: Ravindra Jadeja rues worst fears having come true

Ravindra Jadeja celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand batter Matt Henry.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Ravindra Jadeja finds himself in an unchartered territory. Not when it comes to flummoxing the opposition batters with his accurate spin bowling but because of a series lost at home.

In India’s last series loss at home prior to this, Jadeja – a rookie – had featured in a solitary Test. No wonder then that despite picking his 14th five-wicket haul — 12th at home — Jadeja had something to rue about.

“I was scared of this. I didn’t want to lose a single series in India until I played, but it has happened. Whatever I think about, it happens suddenly,” Jadeja said after the opening day’s play here on Friday.

“We have raised our expectations so high that we have not lost a single series for 12 years, and in 12 years, I have been involved in only five losses at home. As a team, it is a lesson. We need to pick up positives from this.”

While Jadeja admitted that there was little time to process the batting meltdown towards the end of the day, stating “it all happened to quickly” he agreed that the state of mind of the players perhaps reflected in their decision-making.

“When you are down in the series and such a situation comes up, obviously it feels like if you are down 2-0 in the series, that’s why you panicked and you made a mistake,” Jadeja said.

But when you keep winning and when you are ahead 2-0, then everyone says, ‘It’s okay, it happens’. When you are down in the series, then such small thing always seems big.”