Ravindra Jadeja discusses early career batting order struggles

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has shared insights into the early challenges of his international career, specifically regarding his batting position. Speaking during the second day of the Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle, Jadeja revealed that being frequently sent to bat at number 8 or 9 negatively impacted his confidence.

Jadeja noted that his domestic record in the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy featured a batting average exceeding 60, leading him to believe he possessed the capability to contribute higher in the order. He expressed that seeing fast bowlers prepare to bat ahead of him in the dressing room often made him feel the team lacked full confidence in his batting abilities. He mentioned that at times, he was even sent in lower than Ravichandran Ashwin.

Despite these early struggles, Jadeja stated he developed the mental strength required to play long innings in Test cricket. The comments came amidst India's strong performance in the match, where the team reached 460/9 by the end of the second day, bolstered by a significant 167-run contribution from Devdatt Padikkal.