London: Ravindra Jadeja is fond of the ‘kiss’ — the cricket kind, that is.
‘Keep it simple, stupid' - which the acronym 'kiss' is used to represent - is the mantra that state coach Debu Mitra asks him to follow.
After his splendid five-wicket special at the ICC Champions Trophy, Jadeja revealed that he does not do anything out of the ordinary to produce a good show.
“I just try and bowl in the right areas, so it does not get any easy for any batsman,” he said. He also owes a lot to the guidance and confidence from his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been spreading the message of living in the present among all his players.
“Dhoni tells me to just try and focus on my game and take one game at a time. This has helped me a lot.”
Asked about the factors behind Jadeja’s development to a fine all-rounder, the Indian skipper said: “What we need to see in international cricket is that all the cricketers don’t really start brilliantly, but they transform into good players with the more games you play. By playing, you get more and more confident about your strengths and what needs to be done. Jadeja has done it.”
According to Dhoni, Jadeja’s biggest advantage is his consistency. “The good thing with him is, as a bowler, he is very consistent with his line and length. He doesn’t vary his stuff a lot; he keeps it in the same areas, watches the batsman, if a batsman is stepping out or something. Apart from that, he’s someone who has been very consistent in improving and that is helping him.”
Jadeja’s admiration for Dhoni knows no bounds. “He has a very good cricketing brain. He can read a person’s cricket very well. So I believe in him a lot. All that I do is to try and give my best whenever I get the opportunity. Whether it is a chance to bat or bowl I just try giving my best,” said Jadeja. Small wonder, therefore, that the fans are often blowing kisses at him from the stands for his splendid performance.
