 "Ravindra Jadeja has blamed the toss for India's troubles in 2nd Test. Image: AFP")
India ended Day 4 of the second Test in big trouble at 27 for 2 while chasing a massive 549-run target against South Africa in Guwahati on Tuesday. After the day’s play, Ravindra Jadeja spoke honestly about the situation and said that the toss played a big role in how the match has gone so far.
Jadeja said that the game changed from the moment India lost the toss. “I don’t find any difference from when we played them in 2019. They almost have the same squad. In cricket, it’s all about timing. When you’re not winning the toss, everything starts from there. If we had won the toss on this wicket, we would have been in a much better situation, but that’s part and parcel of the game,” he said.
Jadeja’s message for his teammates
Jadeja said that India will now have to fight hard on Day 5 and trust their defence to survive. “Now whatever comes next, which is Day 5. We have to play good cricket and trust our defence, that’s the key. If we manage to play out the entire fifth day, then it will be a win-win situation for us,” he added.
The all-rounder also explained how match situations affect a batter’s mindset. He said that when a team has a 300-run lead, batters can play freely without worrying about spin or the pitch. But when a team is far behind, every ball feels difficult. “When you are 300 runs behind and you know the target is around 550 with the ball turning and bouncing, those things stay in your mind more. But when you are in a good position, even if the ball spins, you handle it better,” he said.
Earlier in the day, South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs (94) and Tony de Zorzi (49) batted strongly and helped their team reach 260 for 5 before declaring with a huge lead. Jadeja picked up 4 for 62, while Washington Sundar took one wicket.
India had a shaky start in the chase. Yashasvi Jaiswal was out for 13 after edging Marco Jansen to the keeper, and KL Rahul was bowled by Simon Harmer for 6. At stumps, Sai Sudharsan was unbeaten on 2 off 25 balls, and nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav was on 4 from 22 deliveries.
India still need 522 runs on the final day to level the series, which looks almost impossible, but Jadeja said the team will try to fight till the end.