Back after injury, Ravindra Jadeja prepared for England challenge

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja stated that England were not a difficult side to beat ahead of the third Test in Rajkot that begins on Thursday.

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the Test match, Jadeja admitted that England had a different style of play and that India need to plan for it.

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"I won’t term England as [the most difficult] team to beat,” Jadeja said.

“It hasn't been easy for other teams to come to India and win. They have an aggressive style of play. They connect sometimes, sometimes not. But that’s their style. We have to think about our plan B. What’s our field? We have to stick to the plan and not allow them to pile on runs.”

The all-rounder, who was out of the second Test with a hamstring injury, is hopeful to return to the XI in Rajkot. He stated that India made small errors in the second innings of the first Test which allowed the visitors to take a lead in the series, but is now confident of stifling their aggressive style of batting.

“When they are playing those shots, you can start thinking about where to bowl,” Jadeja said, adding that he plans to keep things simple without changing too much.

"It is better to keep the (bowling) lines as simple as possible in Test cricket because their batters look to play their strokes at every opportunity,” he said.

“If we adjust according to that, it is possible that we may end up giving more runs and not get wickets as well. We will keep it simple and let them do whatever they want to, we have our game plan and if we stick to it then there are chances of being successful.”

On his injury, Jadeja said that it was frustrating to miss matches and cited him diving around in the field as a possible reason for frequent injuries. Jadeja had pulled his hamstring in Hyderabad in the first Test after being run out in India's fourth-innings chase.

“I can't hide anywhere in the field, I am always in the hotspot be it any format and that’s probably the reason I get injuries,” he said.

“There is an expectation from the team that I take a good catch or field well, which is good. I need to work on my body cleverly and be careful.”

“I would like to give my 100 per cent and save my body and keep away from diving when not required,” he added.

Jadeja also said that he expects the wicket in Rajkot to be flat and hard, but agreed that the nature of the wicket keeps changing at this venue.

While there are concerns around India’s batting depth with Virat Kohli on personal leave, KL Rahul ruled out and Shreyas Iyer out of the squad, Jadeja maintained that the new players coming into the squad were good enough to step up.

“All these new boys are coming into the side after playing a lot of first-class cricket,” he said.

“These are seasoned players, they know how to play long innings and have an idea of how it goes in Test cricket.

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"This was anyway inevitable, whether it comes after two years or five, it is good for them that they are getting an opportunity in the home conditions.”

The third Test begins on Thursday with the series in the balance at 1-1. The five-match series is a big one for both teams with crucial World Test Championship points up for grabs. While India are third in the points table currently, England are languishing behind at the eighth spot.