Ravindra Jadeja batting position: When was the last time R Jadeja had batted at Number 5 in Test cricket?

Ravindra Jadeja batting position: The Indian all-rounder has been promoted in the batting order by a couple of positions today.

During the first day of the fourth Test of the ongoing India’s tour of England at The Oval, the Indian team management surprised one and all by promoting all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to No. 5 in the batting order.

It was in the 20th over when batsman Cheteshwar Pujara (4) had edged a James Anderson delivery to England wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow. Just when everyone was expecting vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane to walk out to bat, it was Jadeja to made his presence felt on the ground.

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Jadeja, who played 19 balls for a couple of runs in the morning session, has a massive opportunity to further improve his batting numbers when he will walk out to bat alongside captain Virat Kohli in the afternoon session.

Ravindra Jadeja batting position

Batting for the 81st time in Test cricket, it is worth mentioning that Jadeja has batted the most at No. 8 (31 times). Jadeja, who has made useful contributions at No. 7 in the first three Test matches, has batted the second-most number of times at No. 7 (27 times) in his Test career.

The highest that Jadeja has batted in Test cricket is at No. 4 (once). It had happened during the first Test match of South Africa’s tour of India in 2019 in Vishakhapatnam when Jadeja had scored 40 (32) with the help of three sixes in the second innings.

Jadeja over Rahane? Didn’t see that coming. #EngvInd

— Wear a Mask. Stay Safe, India (@cricketaakash) September 2, 2021

As far as batting at No. 5 is concerned, this is only the second time when Jadeja has batted at this position. The first time when the same had happened was during the second innings of the second Test of Australia’s tour of India in 2017 when Jadeja had walked back to the pavilion after scoring 2 (12).

For now, there hasn’t been any official reason behind Jadeja’s promotion in this match and that it would be interesting to know after the day ends.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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