Gujarat Lions’ coach Brad Hodge was one net away when Ravindra Jadeja started rolling his arm over on Thursday evening ahead of their second home game against Rising Pune Supergiant. Hodge was in-charge of the net where captain Suresh Raina was batting. Hugely relieved to see Jadeja - the darling of the masses here in Rajkot - Hodge turned each time Jadeja took his trademark short strides to bowl. The glee clearly visible on his face, Hodge could not stop himself from telling Jadeja ‘That is why you are world’s No. 1 bowler’ after Jadeja had impressed him with his control and variation that saw the overseas batsman in the team struggling against him. 

Having managed to take a solitary wicket in two games, the Lions were eagerly waiting for Jadeja to join them. His presence has bolstered the struggling bowling attack and the team management now has options. In Jadeja they have someone with immense knowledge of the format and conditions, a spinner to bowl in the Powerplay, a left-hand batting option for any spot in the order and a world-class fielder.

As he prepares to play his first game of the 10th edition of the VIVO IPL, Jadeja interacted with iplt20.com about his break, his first match and the tough job that bowling is in the T20 format.

You played a key role in India’s stupendous home season. How crucial was the short break?

After being involved in such a long home season, it was important to take rest. If you don't do that, you risk getting injured. The body too needs some change. T20 is such a format where the intensity is high and your fitness too needs to be right up there. Even mentally you need to relax and that is why the break was crucial.

After the Test series, I took complete rest for the first five days. We had played so much cricket, so I knew I need not work too much on the fitness. I had two training sessions before joining the team. Skill-wise I had decided that I will focus on my batting and bowling when I am back. The IPL is a long tournament and you have to plan your schedule accordingly.

We saw you having a rigorous net session. What were those boxes you were looking to tick?

I was in good rhythm during the Test series against Australia. I had the momentum both while batting and bowling. When I began bowling in the nets after a break of 10 days, I wanted to carry on the momentum and was looking to discover that rhythm back. When I was bowling against Australia, I had that flow, so I was looking to continue that.

The bowling attack of Gujarat Lions has struggled. With you back, the team has received a big boost.

I always look to contribute as much as I can for the team. My goal has always been to be a utility player who can answer his team’s needs in any circumstances. Whether it is bowling or batting, I want to contribute and fill the gap for the team.

You were unstoppable in the Test series. Many English and Australian cricketers are playing in this edition. Are you looking forward to renewing the rivalry?

There is a big difference in the two formats. If you bowl the Test lines in T20, they will hammer you. In the T20 format, you must vary your line and length and also your bowling speed. You have to mix everything. You cannot be bowling at the same speed. Also, you need to be aware of the strong points of a batsman and his scoring areas.
Your first game this season will be against RPS. There are so many players with whom you have shared the dressing room. It should be an exciting contest.

They have a strong batting line-up. We need to identify their weak areas and target those. We need to bowl really well and restrict them to a low total. We have a good batting line-up, so even if we have a big target, we’re capable of chasing it down. We need to bat deep and try and save runs in the field too.