1st Test: It felt very sad; life is unpredictable, says Jadeja on Warne's demise

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Saturday expressed sadness over the passing away of legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne, saying life is unpredictable.

On day two of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium, Jadeja mixed solid defence with lovely shots and batted with great ease to make a career-best, unbeaten 175 as India declared at 574/8 in 129.2 overs.

When Jadeja brought up the three-figure mark, the on-air TV commentary made a mention of the 'rockstar' nickname given to him by Warne during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. It was quite ironic that a day after Warne's sudden demise at the age of 52 in Thailand, Jadeja raced to his century, eventually ending up unbeaten at 175.

"It was a very shocking news as soon I got to know yesterday. It wasn't feeling good at all and couldn't believe like it was true. When I met him for the first time in 2008, his name was still that big," said Jadeja in the post-day virtual press conference.

Jadeja arrived into the Rajasthan Royals fold ahead of the inaugural edition of the IPL after winning the U19 World Cup in 2008. Warne, who captained the side to win the trophy, had coined the 'rockstar' nickname for Jadeja's all-round skills.

"At that time, it didn't feel like that I was going to play alongside a legend of the game because I came from the U19 level and playing as well as sharing the dressing room with him was a really big thing. He gave me a very good platform because right after coming off from U19, I got a chance to play in the IPL, which felt really good," recalled Jadeja.

Jadeja signed off by hoping that Warne's soul rests in eternal peace. "It felt very sad; life is unpredictable. Anything can happen in life, then getting sudden news like this gives a shocking feeling and leaves you wonder, what did just happen. May God give peace to his soul; this is what I will pray for."