Ravindra Jadeja shares his unsettling experience of feeling a lack of confidence from his team.

Ravindra Jadeja has shared insights into the challenges he encountered during the formative years of his cricketing career with the Indian national team. In a recent discussion, he expressed how being relegated to lower batting positions impacted his self-esteem and led him to question the team's trust in his batting skills. As India aims to maintain its strong performance following a successful first day against Sri Lanka, Jadeja reflected on his evolution as a Test batsman and the development of his ability to endure lengthy innings.

Jadeja recounted that he initially batted at the number four position, a role he excelled in during his domestic career, where he boasts an impressive average exceeding 60 in both the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy. “When I started, I used to bat at number 4. If you look at my entire Ranji Trophy career, my average is more than 60,” he noted. However, he acknowledged that upon joining the Indian team, he often found himself batting much lower in the order, which led to a crisis of confidence. “Sometimes what happens is that you come into the Indian team and you don't get that batting number,” he added, highlighting the disconnect between his domestic success and his role in the national setup.

The all-rounder candidly admitted that frequently batting at positions eight or nine, and occasionally even lower than fellow player Ravichandran Ashwin, took a toll on his morale. “When you are sitting in the dressing room with your pads on, next to you, a fast bowler is selecting a ball. Seeing all those things, my morale and confidence would go down,” Jadeja explained. He elaborated on how witnessing bowlers prepare to bat ahead of him made him feel undervalued, leading to self-doubt about his place in the team. “I would think, ‘Oh man, what is this? The team doesn't even have confidence in me?’” he reflected, revealing the emotional struggles he faced during his early international appearances.

Jadeja's remarks came in the wake of India's commanding performance on the first day of the Test match against Sri Lanka, where they concluded the day at 288 for 2. Devdutt Padikkal shone with an impressive unbeaten 131, marking his first Test century, while KL Rahul contributed significantly with 77 runs. Rishabh Pant remained not out at 27 as the team positioned itself strongly for the ongoing match.