AUS v IND 2020-21: “Ravindra Jadeja’s batting abilities have skyrocketed” Sanjay Manjrekar praises the all-rounder

Jadeja averages 65 with the bat in Tests in 2020.

The tussle of words between Sanjay Manjrekar and Ravindra Jadeja is world-famous, as it began from the former India batsman calling the all-rounder a “bits and pieces cricketer” during the ICC World Cup 2019.

Both Jadeja and Manjrekar traded words on social media and since then, the cricketer-turned- commentator is always the subject of discussion on Twitter whenever Jadeja excels with the bat and/or the ball for Team India.

A similar case happened when Jadeja did extremely well with the bat in the past 2 years for the Indian team, including scoring his maiden Test century and that epic knock in the semi-final of the 2019 World cup, which almost won India the game.

He did well in the white-ball series in Australia and had a good time with both the bat and ball the last time India played a Test series down under, scoring a brilliant fifty in SCG Test and picking wickets as well.

AUS v IND 2020-21: WATCH - Jadeja takes an outstanding catch despite near collision with Gill

During the ongoing MCG Test, Jadeja remained unbeaten on 40, aiding captain Ajinkya Rahane to reach his 15^th Test hundred and adding 100 valuable runs for Team India resulting in them leading by 82 runs at the end of the day 2.

Sanjay Manjrekar discussed Jadeja’s batting statistics which read as his batting average in the longest format improved considerably, going from 21.80 in 2015 to 37.50 in 2016. Very soon it reached 41.00 in 2017 and 45.60 in 2018. The Saurashtra-born was averaging a very impressive 62.85 in 2019. This year, the 32-year-old is possessing a staggering average of 65.00.

"Things changed after 2015 with Ravindra Jadeja -- the batsman. It was also the time when Ashwin was batting before him, Ashwin had four Test hundreds and Jadeja had nothing. Jadeja was competing with Ashwin as the spinner in side.

Ashwin's batting dropped Jadeja's batting sort of skyrocketed. This guy always had a great first-class record and finally, when he got his number, he felt 'Wow, let me make most of it'” Manjrekar said on Sony Network’s post-match show.

"The early part he was playing as Test all-rounder of sort, his bowling was fine but his batting for a couple of years had become a bit of harakiri. Something changed in the last 4 years. He is getting behind the ball, leaving balls, even today against a quality bowling attack, he did not throw is wicket to avoid the fast bowlers before the second new ball was taken.

He hung in there, so temperamentally, the technique has always been there, batting ability has always been there," he added.

(Sony Networks inputs)