8 October - Chennai - India player Ravindra Jadeja post-match press conference
[Reporter:]
Do you think when they were 110 for two it was the Steve Smith wicket, that particular ball, which turned the match for India? Do you say that was the best among the three? And from 110 for two, they were reduced to 119 for 5, and that tempted the match in favour of India. What was your take and do you think that your IPL experience here has played a big role in it?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
I think that was the turning moment, you know, when you get a wicket like Steve Smith from there onwards it was not easy to just come in and rotate the strike for the new batter. So, I think that I would say that wicket was the turning point. From there onwards, they were 119 – 3 and 199 all out. I think, yeah, I would say that was the turning point. And yeah, it helped me, because I knew the conditions in Chennai. I've been playing here for like 10-11 years so I know the how conditions in this ground. So, I think I enjoyed and whatever I contribute to the team I always feel happy.
[Reporter:]
Your role is slightly different in this team as a spinner, so you were playing in Chennai for the World Cup, so you were determined that you need a big team. Did you have such thoughts in your mind when you came to this match?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
No, no. I mean, if you are playing for India, every match is big. I never take anything for granted that I am set and I have a good image. Whenever I play, I try to give my 100% but sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. But whenever it happens and the team wins, it feels really good.
[Reporter:]
The whole team has good experience, but Ravindra, Ashwin and Virat are the players who have played the World Cup in 2011. Before starting this tournament, did you get any message from them that this is how you play, this tournament will help us in keeping 2011 in mind?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
No, not really. Not only from the two of them, everyone has an input on the game plan, in which venue, how to play against a particular team, how we implement every small thing, no such special message. But everyone has a different viewpoint to read the game, so everyone brings their thoughts on the ground and accordingly we decide how to play against a particular batsman or bowler - what is their weak zone, their strong area. We discuss that on the ground.
[Reporter:]
On this pitch where the ball was turning – how important is it to maintain the accuracy and line and length, because the line and length that you played was quite accurate, and the Australian batters couldn’t understand it.
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
When I started the first over, the ball was stopping after falling a little slow. I thought it was the afternoon, it was hot and the wicket was dry. I thought a stump-line would be better. From here some balls would turn, some would go straight so it won't be easy for the batsman to line up. This was my plan that I should bowl at the stumps and luckily the ball to Smith turned a little more.
So, my plan was simple I was thinking that this is a Test match bowling wicket. I shouldn't experiment too much because everything was happening in the wicket. So, I was trying to bowl it stump to stump.
[Reporter:]
Rahul and Rohit always talk about role clarity. Everyone knows their roles.
So, when all three of you are playing together, you, Ash, and Kuldeep, can you explain a little bit about their role and your role? Since you are different bowlers, how does the role differ?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
The role is nothing. We are trying to take as many wickets as possible. In such wickets, all three of them must be thinking that I should get more. Isn't it? This is what happens in the mind. And if they are thinking like this, then it's not wrong. If everyone is thinking like this, then it's good. The opposing team will get all out soon.
[Reporter:]
Today all three spinners played very well. You, Ashwin, and Kuldeep too. Do you think that going forward if you get such pitches – as this is the biggest strength of the team, to play on such spinning tracks. Would you like you get such pitches going forward too?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
That depends on the venue, we can't get such a wicket everywhere, but if we get to see such a wicket on the ground that the ball can spin better, then definitely we can go for such a combination.
[Reporter:]
At 2 runs and 3 wickets, what was it like in the dressing room? Was there still a sense of calmness? Or was there a little bit of nerves?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
Yeah, like, obviously, when you’re three wickets down in just a couple of overs, you obviously get panicked a little bit. But we know that Virat and Rahul, they've been doing it for the team for so many years. So, I think nobody was too hyper or panicked at that time. But yeah, luckily, they played brilliantly, they know the conditions well and they took the game forward till the last so I think that was amazing to see.
[Reporter:]
You said it very simply that you kept a line on the stump and didn't try to experiment much, still you have a lot of subtle variations, like overspin and all. You have played Steve Smith's wickets. Do you feel that as the batsman is trying so you should try to turn the ball more?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
No, no, I will not tell you. You will print it in English and they will understand. No, I won't tell you this.
[Reporter:]
In today's match, we saw two world records. Number one record is - in ODI history, we have never lost - out of the top four batsmen, 3 batsmen for a duck. This happened for the first time, so what was running in your head? And also, more than 150 partnership against Australia, that too for the first time. So, when these kinds of big records are happening, what happens when you guys are in there?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
We didn't know how many were out for the first time. But the positive thing to take from this is that – partnership – when our team was under pressure, how our batsmen handle pressure, they can take it positively. In the World Cup such matches will come where there will be crucial matches, knockouts or any such do or die situation, so how will our batsmen handle the pressure? The first record you told me of, even I didn't know it happened.
[Reporter:]
India is the favourite. Your first win gives you confidence. But when your first win is against Australia, does it double the confidence?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
It feels very good when you defeat big teams, and your confidence definitely goes up.
Beating Australia and other strong teams in the World Cup would be great. I won't say it will be easy in front of the other teams because every team is good. But if you win in front of the big teams, you have a different level of confidence. In the next stage, as a team if out of 11 even 7-8 players have high confidence we can go in a positive direction
[Reporter:]
You are three spinners, if you leave Kuldeep, so you and Ashwin are seniors, you've played for a long time. So how did you give confidence to Kuldeep?
[Ravindra Jadeja:]
No, he doesn't need confidence. He is doing good in the series; in Asia Cup he has taken 5 wickets and he was the highest wicket taker. He is in good rhythm and good touch so hopefully he will keep on doing this. As a spinner we always discuss where there is spin or not, can you bowl at good speed – we keep passing the information to each other. That gives us an idea that in this wicket at what speed and line and length we can bowl.