Ravindra Jadeja Overtakes MS Dhoni as India’s 4th-Highest Six-Hitter in Tests

Sports News: Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja surpassed former captain MS Dhoni to take the fourth spot in India’s list of players with the most sixes in Test cricket. He moved up the list during the opening Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad. At the end of the second session on day two, Jadeja was unbeaten on 50 runs from 81 balls, with three fours and four sixes. His knock came at a strike rate of more than 61. All four of his sixes came against Jomel Warrican, taking his career tally to 79 sixes in 86 Tests. With this, Jadeja went one ahead of Dhoni, who had 78 sixes in 90 Tests.

Jadeja climbs the six-hitting chart

Only three Indian batters are now ahead of Jadeja in terms of Test sixes. Rohit Sharma has 88 sixes in 67 Tests, Virender Sehwag has 90 in 103 Tests, and Rishabh Pant leads with 90 sixes in just 47 Tests. This knock also gave Jadeja his seventh fifty-plus score in Test cricket this year, the highest for any batter. Across seven matches and 13 innings in 2023, Jadeja has scored 605 runs at an average of 75.62. His runs include one century, six fifties, and a top score of 107*. Jadeja is now only 64 runs short of reaching 4,000 career Test runs. He currently has 3,936 runs from 86 matches and 129 innings, with an average of 38.21. His record also includes five centuries, 28 fifties, and a best of 175*.

Strong form continues for Jadeja

Before this Test, Jadeja had been India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England in the UK. In that series, he made 516 runs in five matches at an average of 86.00, with one century and five half-centuries. By the end of the second session, India stood at 326/4 with Jurel on 68* and Jadeja on 50*. Earlier in the session, India had resumed at 218/3 with KL Rahul on 100* and Jurel on 14*. However, Rahul soon fell after scoring a patient 100 off 197 balls, giving Warrican his wicket. The Jadeja-Jurel partnership took charge with aggressive batting, smashing three sixes within eight balls in the 71st and 72nd overs. Jadeja attacked Warrican twice with straight sixes over long-on and mid-on. India crossed the 250-run mark in the 75th over, with Jadeja adding boundaries freely. Soon after, India’s lead went past 100 as both Jadeja and Jurel scored quickly against Chase. Their partnership brought up a fifty-run stand in just 77 balls.

Jurel supports with solid fifty

Jurel survived a close LBW call against Seales and later completed his second Test fifty off 91 balls, with five fours and two sixes. A stylish cut shot off Greaves took India to 300 in 87 overs. Both players kept adding runs and built a solid 100-run partnership in 151 balls. Jadeja, who kept attacking Warrican, reached his 28th Test fifty in 75 balls. They made sure no wickets fell before the session ended, leaving India in a strong position.

Brief Scores: India 326/4 (KL Rahul 100, Dhruv Jurel 68*, Roston Chase 2/37) vs West Indies 162 (Justin Greaves 32, Shai Hope 26, Mohammed Siraj 4/40).