- The arrival of Ashwin at number seven means that the squad now has a greater balance with six regular bowling options.
- The assurance of steady runs at number five.
- Now that Hardik Pandya has recovered from his injury, there is the possibility of enviable batting depth.
Ravindra Jadeja has a batting average of 50.54 during the last two years, during which he has scored six half-centuries. Isn’t it a sophisticated number for the batter to take the guard as number seven? Ajinkya Rahane, India’s usual no. 5 batsman, has a batting average of 41.57 throughout the same time span, with three hundreds and six half-centuries to his credit. The manner in which he has been performing as of late is, however, the source of worry. Since the test that took place on Christmas Day of the previous year, Rahane has not scored a century. The Indian test batting is not only improved when Jadeja bats at no. 5, but this move also has the potential to give essential team balance. Let’s look at the specifics of the situation.
Indian Test Batting: Fragile Middle Order
If Virat Kohli does not reach a century during the forthcoming test cricket betting id match, it would have been almost 770 days since his most recent one. Rishabh Pant, who bats at number six, has a lot of work to do since Rahane is vulnerable and Kohli is having trouble. Because of the way he bats, a consistent high score is not a given under any circumstances. As a result, someone in India’s middle order who is capable of scoring huge runs consistently is what the team most needs right now.
Indian Test Batting With Ravindra Jadeja at No. 5
Although it’s true that Jadeja hasn’t scored a century in the last two years, it’s also important to note that he hasn’t even batted with the third and fifth batters in the order. Instead, he has increased the amount of times he bats with his tail, which compels him to play aggressively every other inning. As the fifth batsman, he is able to spend time with both the top and middle of the order. When playing a sport like that, the likelihood of him scoring large runs on a regular basis jumps by a factor of two. The placement of Jadeja at number five could seem to be a bit of a rush job, but someone who has had regular runs all around the world needs support to come out on top.
Team Balance
The most significant benefit obtained by repositioning Ravindra Jadeja to position five is an improved level of team balance, which was achieved by playing Ravi Ashwin at number seven. This is going to make your mouth wet, for sure. The addition of Ravi Ashwin has the potential to significantly bolster an already formidable bowling team, and this is the case even if the batting depth remains same. When playing a test match, the notion of having six regular bowling options with maximum diversity might be the worst nightmare for the opponent. If Hardik Pandya becomes in better shape in the future, the batting order may go something like this: 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Ravin Ashwin, 9. Shami, 10. Bumrah, 11. Ishant/Siraj. a batting lineup that includes two all-rounders of world-class caliber, as well as six regular bowling alternatives. That right there is what you call a well-balanced squad.
Conclusion
There is a possibility that May may say that this is unfairly harsh on Ajinkya Rahane. However, in order for a team to win test matches, it is very necessary for the number 5 batsman to consistently post high scores. Unfortuitously, Rahane has been unable to provide such information. Moving Jadeeja up to number five not only guarantees a constant number of runs, but it also puts the team closer to a balanced state by providing six regular bowling alternatives. Therefore, playing Ravindra Jadeja at number five is an excellent strategy that Team India should attempt.