"I told them that the wicket is playing tricks and we can put Sri Lanka into bat" - Ravindra Jadeja opens up on India's declaration

Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja revealed that he himself advised the dressing room to make the declaration and send Sri Lanka out to bat as the pitch started deteriorating. After Jadeja’s 175* powered India to 574 for 8, the visitors ended Day 2 struggling on 108 for 4.

Resuming on 357 for 6, Jadeja shared a 130-run seventh-wicket partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin to take the game away from Sri Lanka. And once Ashwin departed for a free-flowing 61, the southpaw upped his ante. That was until skipper Rohit Sharma called them in, thus prompting polarizing opinions among fans.

But Ravindra Jadeja stated that it wasn’t just the team management. Even he suggested declaring the innings as soon as the ball started turning and keeping low.

“Yeah there was message coming from inside and I was also telling them. When I was batting, balls had started taking spin and there was variable bounce. So I told them that the wicket is playing tricks and we can put them [Sri Lanka] into bat. They were on the field for almost two days and were naturally tired. So it wouldn’t have been easy for them to come out and start playing shots and stay further on the field. So our plan was to score quickly and declare as soon as possible,” he said in response to a Sportskeeda query at the post-day press conference.

Jadeja surpassed Kapil Dev (163 vs. Sri Lanka, 1986) in registering the highest score by an Indian at No. 7 in Tests. Sri Lanka are still 466 runs adrift of the Indian total and are staring at a follow-on.

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“I was thinking about keeping it on the third-fourth stump” – Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja bowled 9 overs unchanged to cap off a memorable day of Test cricket

Soon after going off to a standing ovation from the scattered Mohali crowd, Ravindra Jadeja was again back on the field, this time contributing with the ball. After Ashwin sent opener Lahiru Thirimanne (17 off 60) packing, the 33-year-old sent back Dimuth Karunaratne for 28 off 71.

The Sri Lankan captain’s dismissal vindicated India’s decision to play three spinners. Pitching outside the off stump on a good length, the ball spun back sharply into the right-hander to trap him lbw. It was Jadeja’s second ball of the innings. The earlier delivery had already given significant hints.

“When I was batting, some balls were keeping low and some were taking turn – so the wicket was aiding natural variation. So the plan was to keep bowl on the stumps, because it might then go straight as well as spin. And that exactly what happened. My first ball turned sharply and was close. So about the second ball, I was thinking about keeping it on the third-fourth stump, because if it spun, there was good possibility of it hitting the stumps and keeping low,” the Saurashtra lad elaborated.

He even had Charith Asalanka out lbw towards the fag end of the day, before DRS proved otherwise. Meanwhile, No. 3 Pathum Nissanka (26* off 75) holds the key to Sri Lanka going close to the Indian aggregate.