Team India struggled with their options in the first Test in Centurion against South Africa. India, who suffered a heavy loss by an innings and 32 runs, played R Ashwin and Shardul Thakur at No. 7 and 8 but it didn't help the visitors' cause as the batting line-up got limited to just six batters and none of the bowlers made a marka apart from Jasprit Bumrah. Ravindra Jadeja getting a back spasm on the morning of the Test match really handicapped the Indian team in Centurion but before the year ended, the visitors got heartening news.
As per a PTI report, Jadeja was seen in training in Centurion on the third day of the Test match. Jadeja did a bit of a warm-up before running 30-40 metre short runs and didn't look in discomfort as many who were present at the SuperSport Park noted. Jadeja then bowled for 20 minutes along with the other Indian bowler who was benched for the first Test, Mukesh Kumar. India's strength and conditioning coach Rajnikanth oversaw all of it as Jadeja went about his business.
The report stated that Jadeja bowled at one spot consistently and throughout his session, he didn't have any kind of issue as far as his back was concerned. This spells good news for India, who were thrown into submission by the South Africans as it was a collective surrender from the two-time World Test Championship finalists.
Jadeja still has a few days to get match-fit as the series finale begins on January 3. BCCI informed on the morning of the Boxing Day Test that Jadeja was unavailable for India, "Mr Ravindra Jadeja complained of upper back spasms on the morning of the match. He was not available for selection for the first Test."
While many reckoned that India could have played an extra batter in place of Jadeja but the team management went with R Ashwin, who picked just one wicket and failed with the bat in both innings.
(With PTI inputs)
