Firstpost Spodcast Episode 109: BCCI clears air over Ravindra Jadeja's fitness, Tottenham Hotspur underline title credentials and more

Welcome to Spodcast, the daily sports update on Firstpost. The Indian cricket team has been at the receiving end of some flak following the loss to Australia in the second Test at Perth. There was a fair bit of debate around fitness levels after it was reported that Ravindra Jadeja had been nursing an injury on the eve of leaving for the Australian tour. The BCCI is now trying to clear the air over Jadeja’s health. Its statement said, “…Jadeja complained of a left shoulder discomfort after prolonged bowling spells during the 2018 West Indies ODI series. He underwent a guided injection in Mumbai for this on 2nd November. This gave Mr Jadeja good relief…and he played in the Ranji Trophy match for Saurashtra from 12 to 15 November…he completed 64 overs without any issues. He was thereby declared fit by the BCCI and selected for the Test series against Australia." Jadeja was included in the 13-member squad for the Perth Test but has not played since, with the BCCI claiming he lacked the “required intensity” when bowling in the nets. The other issue that has flared up during India’s tour down under is Virat Kohli’s unbridled aggression and his expressiveness on the field. While Kohli’s aggressiveness on the field has won him a legion of fans including Viv Richards, he has also come under criticism for being over the top. Head coach Ravi Shastri brushed aside all such talk as he staunchly defended the Indian captain. Shastri said Kohli’s critics were “firing blanks while sitting million miles away.” He added, “He (Kohli) was fantastic. What is wrong with his behaviour? Of course, you can question but as far as we are concerned, he is an absolute gentleman.” In other news we discussed on this episode of Spodcast, Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Everton 6-2 on Sunday and are now just six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have had to deal with the unwanted attention of their manager being linked with Manchester United after Jose Mourinho’s removal. But there was no sign of tension as Spurs came back from a goal down thanks to double strikes by Son Heung-min and Harry Kane with Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen also chipping in. We also discus the Pro Kabaddi League, where Dabang Delhi brought the unbeaten run of the Bengal Warriors to an end on Sunday with a 37-31 win.