"Don't do it for yourself, do it for your country"- Ravindra Jadeja opens up on how NCA physios and trainers motivated him during rehab

Team India will be delighted to have the services of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the first Test against Australia in Nagpur on Thursday. The all-rounder was away from competitive cricket for more than five months with a knee injury.

The balance that Jadeja provides to the Indian team is evident from his performances over the past few months, especially in the longest format. He was facing a race against time to get fit, but in a video posted by BCCI, Ravindra Jadeja thanked his trainers and physios at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

Here's what he said:

"The trainers and physios at the NCA worked really hard on my fitness and in strengthening my knee. Even on Sundays when there used to be an off at the NCA, they used to come and spend time with me. Whenever I used to say that it was paining or causing me discomfort, they told me, 'Don't do it for yourself, do it for your country' and that pushed me to get fit quicker."

Ravindra Jadeja finished his rehabilitation and was asked to prove his fitness by playing a Ranji Trophy game for Saurashtra on January 24. On that experience, he added:

"When I went to the ground for the first time, it felt a bit weird because I hadn't been on the field for more than five months. The first day was tough and we all know the Chennai heat. But it got easier as the game progressed. I got some wickets too and that really gave me the confidence that I can play 5-day cricket."

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Ravindra Jadeja on the knee surgery decision

Ravindra Jadeja accepted that he was trying to delay his knee surgery as much as possible to play in the T20 World Cup. However, an injury during the Asia Cup meant that he had to make the tough decision of undergoing the surgery and missing the showpiece event.

On this, he stated:

"I was struggling with my knee and I had to make a decision whether to go for the surgery before the T20 World Cup or after. Doctor had told me that even if I chose after, chances of me playing the T20 World Cup were very less."

Ravindra Jadeja also spoke about how tough it was for him to stay away from cricketing action during the rehab. He added:

"The period after the surgery was tough because you need to do the rehab and training. At the same time, you start to think about how long it would take for you to get fit. I watched the T20 World Cup games on the TV and tried to imagine myself in that situation."

Jadeja will have to play a huge role for the hosts if they want to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy convincingly and qualify for the World Test championship final.