Aakash Chopra hails Ravindra Jadeja's all-round performance in Nagpur Test
Ravindra Jadeja has left his mark with both bat and ball (Twitter)
Former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra, has gushingly lauded the recent performance of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the ongoing first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Nagpur. Dubbing him as the "best all-rounder on the planet," Chopra heaped praise on Jadeja's resounding display on the field, which saw him return to international cricket after a five-month hiatus due to a knee injury.
Jadeja set the stage alight on Day 1 with a five-wicket haul and backed up his performance with a match-winning half-century on Day 2. Chopra stated that Jadeja has come a long way and has improved by leaps and bounds, adding that it often feels like he is batting far too low in the order, given his abilities as an all-rounder.
"In my book, he is the best all-rounder on the planet right now. His batting has improved leaps and bounds," Chopra said on ESPNcricinfo. "The reason for that improvement is just self-belief,” the former opener added.
Chopra went on to praise Jadeja's batting, saying that he always had the shots, and has scored several centuries in first-class cricket. According to Chopra, Jadeja's only hindrance has been a lack of confidence in leaving the ball, but he has been nothing short of sensational with the bat.
Former Australian captain, Ian Chappell, concurred with Chopra's views and added that Jadeja is a smart cricketer. Chappell stated that Jadeja is highly skilled in all three aspects of the game, batting, bowling, and fielding. The Australian legend opined that Jadeja’s steady improvement in both batting and bowling is a testament to his intelligence as a cricketer.
 "Jatin")
