Ravindra Jadeja Hits Back At Ben Stokes' Accusations: 'He Was Repeatedly…' – News18

Ravindra Jadeja has clarified that he had ‘no intention’ to roughen up the Edgbaston pitch while batting on Thursday during the second Test between India and England. After the end of the second day’s play, he said that opposition skipper Ben Stokes ‘repeatedly’ complained about him walking in the ‘danger zone’, before slyly commenting that the English fast-bowlers were already making the rough for him.
Jadeja scored a brilliant 89 (137) as India smashed 587/10 in the first innings. His innings was patient and the perfect second-fiddle to skipper Shubman Gill’s record-breaking 269 (387). He stopped stepping into the ‘danger zone’ — the area of pitch in the line between the two stumps, where players are barred from using their spikes to prevent artificial damage — after Stokes’ initial anger but the England skipper still wasn’t happy.
“He felt I was making rough for myself," Jadeja said after the day, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “The fast bowlers were doing it anyway. I don’t need to do that. He was repeatedly telling the umpire that I am running on the wicket. I had no such intention. It might have happened once or twice by mistake, but I didn’t mean to."
India needed this contribution from Jadeja, who got out cheaply in both innings in the previous Test at Headingley, where lower-order collapses played a role in the five-wicket defeat.
“When you contribute with the bat for the team, it feels great, when you are playing outside India, and the team needs you more, it feels good," Jadeja said. “From 210 for 5 to put together a big partnership to take the team forward, it is a challenge. I took it as a challenge. If you can stick around with the captain and put together a big partnership, it gives you confidence as a cricketer and a batter that in the coming matches also you can contribute," he added.
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India ended the day on top. Pacers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj got three wickets cheaply and England reeled at 77/3 after 20 overs with Joe Root and Harry Brook at the crease.
Jadeja bowled just two overs but will likely be a key figure for India on Day 3.
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