Jadeja showed no rustiness after a forced lay-off of almost three years as he smashed 45 on Saturday and followed it up with an unbeaten 101 off 78 balls on Sunday.

AJAY JADEJA FACTFILE Born: Jamnagar 1.2.71 Test debut: v South Africa, Durban 1992 Highest Test score: 96 v West Indies, St John's 1997 ODI debut: v Sri Lanka, Mackay 1992 Highest ODI score: 119 v Sri Lanka, Colombo 1997 (one of six ODI 100s)

The two appearances came in two off-season tournaments in New Delhi.

Some 1,000 fans turned up to watch match-fit Jadeja's comeback to the batting crease.

And the flamboyant batsman did not disappoint them, smashing eight fours and six sixes on Sunday.

"It's great to be back. I still dream of playing for India again," said the 32-year-old who took up acting in Bollywood movies soon after being handed a five-year-ban in December 2000.

"Cricket remains my first love. I just want to play."

Jadeja was banned from all cricket for five years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after a federal investigation into match-fixing.

He was found guilty of liaising with illegal bookmakers.

Two other players, former captain Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma, were banned for life, while a third, Manoj Prabhakar, was suspended for five years.

Jadeja played 196 one-day internationals for India

While Azharuddin's appeal against the ban is still pending, Jadeja received permission from the Delhi High Court to play domestic matches until the case was decided.

A court-appointed arbitrator had overturned Jadeja's ban in January.

But the BCCI challenged the decision and has now been given until July 21 to reply to the order allowing Jadeja to play domestic matches.

His return to international cricket, however, remains the prerogative of the BCCI and its selection committee, the court ruled.

Jadeja, regarded a one-day specialist, scored 5,359 runs with six centuries and 30 half-centuries in 196 limited-overs matches.

He also figured in 15 Tests, scoring 576 runs.