Ravindra Jadeja has always been a fantastic spinner for India but over the years, especially in last six, he has come of age as a batter as well. His improved abilities with bat since 2017 have not only allowed the side to include an extra bowler in Tests but given India much needed balance at number seven as well.

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Having some great years behind him with bat and experience of 70 Tests also allow India to send him up the order if the situation demands – like in currently ongoing Test series against England at home. With Virat Kohli out, KL Rahul injured and Shreyas dropped, he was sent at number five in the third Test and scored a magnificent century – bringing India back from the 33/3 by adding 204 runs with skipper Rohit Sharma.

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Overall, Jadeja now has 3,000+ runs in Tests to go with his 250+ wickets – only the third Indian to achieve the feat after Kapil Dev and Ravi Ashwin. With Jadeja becoming a formidable batter and complete all-rounder, lets have a look at his years in Test cricket and how he’s now the perfect all-rounder for India:

From 2012-2014

In the first three years since he made the debut in 2012, Jadeja played in 12 games but could manage only 364 runs in 19 innings at an average of just 21. Jadeja only managed just one fifty in first three years of his debut – but his bowling kept him in the team. Jadeja the bowler took 45 wickets in the first 12 games including two five-wicket hauls.

From 2015-2016

In the next three years, Jadeja played 23 Tests – almost double of what he played in his first three years. The southpaw showed much improved version of him with the bat – scoring 812 runs in 33 innings at an average of 35. He also managed to hit seven fifties but a Test hundred still eluded him.

As for his bowling, he grew leaps and bounds taking 120 wickets in 23 games including seven five-wickets hauls and one 10-wicket haul.

From 2018-2020

Since 2018, Jadeja showed a lot of promise with the bat – offering the balance team needed in the batting department lower down the order. In 2018 he scored the first Test century as well – scoring 100 not out against West Indies in Rajkot. Overall, the all-rounder scored 750 runs in 20 innings of 15 Tests from 2018 to 2020 at a stunning average of 53.5. He also managed to score seven fifties along side a hundred in the same period.

In the bowling department, he took 51 wickets in 29 innings but didn’t take a five-wicket haul in the period.

From 2021-2023

Jadeja had a bit of dip in form but still contributed more than handy runs in 17 Tests from 2021 to 2023. He scored 878 runs in the period at an average of 38 with four fifties and two hundreds. In 2022, he also scored his highest score of 175 not out against Sri Lanka at number 7 – the highest for India at that position.

As for his bowling, the all-rounder picked 59 wickets with three five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul and a best of 7/42 in an innings.

Year 2024

This year, Jadeja has started with a bang, scoring a fifty and a hundred in three innings of two Tests he has played. In total, he has scored 201 runs at an average of 50 with a best of 112 against England in Rajkot. In bowling, Jadeja had managed 12 wickets including a five-wicket haul on day 4 of the recently-concluded Rajkot Test against England to help India win by 434 runs.

Talking about his Player of the Match performance of a century and seven wickets in Rajkot, Jadeja said: “We were in a difficult situation, looked to back my strengths, play my shots. Not be too conscious, just watch the ball and play the ball. Batting first, the ball comes on nicely. Once we won the toss, this is what we wanted – bat first, bowl second. You won’t get easy wickets [on this surface] you have to work hard. Need to bowl in good areas, can’t just bowl and get wickets.”

The performances put in by Jadeja over the years have also helped in his rise in ranking as he sits atop the chart of Men’s Test all-rounders in ICC’s list. In ODIs too, he is at the 10th place – being the only Indian in Top 10. 

Jadeja has been a crucial player over the years for India with bowling more than the bat. His recent exploits while batting and the sword celebration after that, however, are becoming a more common sight than earlier – making him the perfect all-rounder for India who is capable to bat lower down the order and take wickets as well.

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