After witnessing Ravindra Jadeja’s blistering innings in the limited-overs format against Australia, former Indian opener and legend Gautam Gambhir suggested a promotion in the batting order of the star all-rounder.
Gambhir urged the Indian team and management to make the most of his form with the bat. Gambhir believes that playing Jadeja at number 5 will help Virat Kohli in playing another all-rounder at number 7 and will provide more stability to the batting line-up.
“I would probably want him to bat at number five because then you can have KL Rahul bat at number four, Virat Kohli at number three and then Jadeja at five, Pandya at six, and you can have another all-rounder at number seven. Use his form. My point has always been very simple. If you make someone bat at number seven, he will bat like a number seven. If you make him bat like a number four or five, he will bat like it and that is how it has always been with everyone,” Gambhir told ESPN Cricinfo.
Gautam Gambhir Showers Praise on Ravindra Jadeja
Gambhir further added that India should play a batsman less as Jadeja is highly capable of doing a good job with the bat, and play an extra all-rounder that could be Axar Patel or Krunal Pandya, who can chip in with overs and take wickets.
“You ask someone to open the batting and he starts thinking like an opener. Jadeja has got the ability. We all know that he has got the ability, he has a Test hundred, got runs in all conditions in white-ball cricket and why not push him at number five and see whether we can work with the combination because you open up one spot you can play a number six bowler who can chip in with overs. You can play another left-arm spinner like Krunal Pandya or Axar Patel,” the cricketer-turned-politician added.
