IND vs AUS 3rd Test: Fit-again Jadeja available for 3rd Test vs Australia

Ravindra Jadeja has been declared fit by the BCCI on Sunday and is now available for the 3rd Test match for the Test series against Australia

India star spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been declared fit by the BCCI on Sunday and is now available for the 3rd Test match for the Test series against Australia which begins on December 26 at Melbourne.

According to a report in cricket.com.au, India coach Ravi Shastri revealed that the left-arm off-spinner needed an injection in his shoulder shortly after he arrived in Australia and team management avoided to take risk by playing him in Perth; typically a batsman-friendly pitch.

"When you look at Perth, we felt (Jadeja) was about 70-80 per cent fit and we didn't want to risk that in Perth," Shastri told cricket.com.au.

"Jadeja's left shoulder has continued to improve and he is now available for the 3rd Test match of the series in Melbourne," the BCCI said in a statement.

Jadeja had complained of left shoulder discomfort after prolonged bowling spells during the 2018, West Indies ODI series. He underwent a guided injection in Mumbai for this on November 2.

That enabled the left-arm spinner to represent Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy match from November 12-15. He was declared fit by the BCCI and selected for the Test series against Australia. 

After Jadeja flew to Australia, he complained of a recurrence of his symptoms on November 30 during the match against the CA XI in Sydney. 

He was given another injection into a slightly different site on that day. This injection along with his rehabilitation programme improved his condition.

"In the lead up to the Perth Test match on 14th December, the management and the all-rounder were of the opinion that the intensity of his bowling in the nets could have been higher, to match the standards required for such an intensely fought series. For this reason, he was not considered for selection for the 2nd Test match," the BCCI statement added.