Manchester, July 18
As Team India gears up for the fourth Test at Manchester's Old Trafford Stadium, Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be aiming to join West Indies icon Sir Garfield Sobers as the only second visiting batter to score 1,000 runs or more in England while coming to bat at number six or lower.
With the series 2-1 in favour of the England camp despite a commendable fight by Indian lower-order, particularly Jadeja, India will be heading into Manchester all fired up, aiming to make amends after a narrow 22-run loss while chasing 193 runs.
Jadeja is the second-highest run-getter among batters positioned 6-12 in England, with 942 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 40.95, with a century and seven fifties in 27 innings, with a best score of 104. Just 58 more runs will make him the part of the elite club with Sobers, a feat a world-class all-rounder would like to have to his name.
Sobers is the best lower-order batter to have visited England, having made 1,097 runs in 11 Tests and 16 innings at an incredible average of 84.38, with four centuries and five fifties. His best score is 174.
With half-centuries in his last four successive innings, Jadeja is the fifth-highest run-getter in the series so far, with 327 runs in six innings at an average of 109.00, with a best score of 89. On the other hand, he has not delivered a lot with the ball, having taken just three wickets at an average of above 110.
In the previous match, Jadeja completed 7,000 international runs, now having 7,018 runs in 361 matches and 302 innings at an average of 33.41, with four centuries and 39 fifties. His best score is 175*. Tests remain by far his best format, with 3,697 runs in 83 Tests at an average of 36.97, with four centuries and 26 fifties and a best score of 175*.
The fourth Test match will kick off in Manchester from July 23 onwards.
India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
England squad for fourth Test against India: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
- ANI
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