Mumbai: Ravindra Jadeja has been the most consistent all-rounder for India in recent times and with the tour of Sri Lanka round the corner, he says he likes to perform when faced with challenges.
India will tour Sri Lanka later this month and Jadeja will be a key member of the team along with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Asked about the tour, Jadeja said: "I like to perform when there are challenges... I like to deliver in tough situations. Challenges never scare me...
"Getting easy wickets is no fun. But when you have to fight and perform in challenging conditions, then that feeling is something else."
Talking about the appointment of Ravi Shastri as the head coach, Zaheer Khan as bowling consultant and Rahul Dravid as the batting consultant for overseas Test tours, the left-hander said: "The good thing is that whatever new experience is added to the team, it is good for us. Hopefully, whoever new comes in the team will share their experiences and we will get to learn from them.
"Cricket is such a sport that you get to learn something from someone everyday. I will also try to learn from their experiences by interacting with them."
Jadeja, however, feels T20 is a good platform for youngsters. "I think T20 is a good platform for youngsters. When I played in the IPL in 2008 for Rajasthan Royals, it was a good platform for me to showcase my talent as the selectors would notice me.
"The young players who come from the Under-19 level or players who don't get opportunity elsewhere get some in the IPL. If they perform well, then they can make it to the top," he said. Jadeja, however, believes that Test cricket will survive despite the T20 onslaught.
Walking down memory lane, Jadeja recalled how there were no good facilities during his initial days.
"It is very tough to play for India, especially considering where I come from. Jamnagar is a small city but cricketers have come from there before also. When I started cricket, we didn't have good facilities in Jamnagar so I had to arrange everything myself if I had to play a match on Saturday or Sunday. I used to prepare the wicket myself and then try to arrange for the money to purchase the cricket balls for the match. "I don't think these things happened to the players in the other cities that you had to yourself prepare the wicket or purchase the ball," he recalled.
"Those things motivate me a lot even now. My aim since the start was that I wanted to play for India. I always wanted to play for India and when I used to see the team playing in blue, I also felt that I should be a part of the team and play for India," he quipped.
Jadeja recalled the time when Shane Warne described him as a "rockstar", saying he did not know the meaning of the term.
"I didn't know what rockstar meant. When I met Shane Warne for the first time, I didn't know he was such a great bowler in Test cricket. He used to call me 'rockstar', and I used to wonder that I don't sing nor do I do anything that I desreved to be called a rockstar."
Meanwhile, Jadeja met his daughter Nidhyana for the first time on Wednesday after returning from England and the West Indies.
"It was a special feeling. I don't realise anything now but as I spend more time with the baby, then I will get more attached. It is a good thing for me and everyone in the family is so happy," he said.
