Ravindra Jadeja to join squad in Nagpur ahead of first Test against Australia after being cleared by NCA

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has received clearance to join the Test squad ahead of their four-game Test series against Australia, starting on February 9 in Nagpur. The Indian team will have a short preparatory camp before the opening Test as they look to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Jadeja proved his match fitness in the Ranji Trophy fixture against Tamil Nadu last week, bowling 41.1 overs and taking seven wickets in the second innings, but Saurashtra lost the game by 59 runs. However, the match gave the 34-year-old the required confidence to play his first Test since July 2022 against England in Birmingham.

To monitor the left-arm spinner's fitness closely, one of the BCCI's physios traveled with him. He has returned to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to wrap up his final round of fitness tests. During the 2022 Asia Cup, Jadeja experienced discomfort in his right knee, which has troubled him over the years.

The recovery period meant that he missed out on selection for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. He made it to the Test squad for the two-match series in Bangladesh, but was eventually ruled out. With his rehab extended, the all-rounder also missed the white-ball series at home to Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The BCCI wanted him to play in the Ranji Trophy to determine his fitness ahead of facing Australia.

"I am used to bowling long spells" - Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja. (Image Credits: Getty)

After returning to competitive cricket from a lengthy injury lay-off, Jadeja said everything went okay as the game progressed and that the pitch assisted him enough to get wickets. As quoted by Sportstar, he stated:

"Feeling very good, playing a game after a long time. Hopefully, I am good to go now. It was tough on the first day but as the game progressed, I was feeling good. I am used to bowling long spells. Nothing new for me. I was enjoying, ball was turning, the pitch was assisting me. When we were batting, the odd ball was spinning, the odd ball was keeping low, so I was keen to bowl a long spell. Luckily I got wickets."

The veteran all-rounder starred with 25 wickets in four Tests when Australia visited in early 2017, helping the hosts eke out a hard-fought 2-1 victory. Meanwhile, middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is yet to receive clearance from the NCA having been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand. However, the 28-year-old remains optimistic about regaining fitness in time for the first Test against Australia.