New Delhi, Feb 20, 2023, IANS

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS): Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes that Ravindra Jadeja's batting has given confidence in his complete skill set in the longest format of the game after his impressive performance in the first two Tests against Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The left-arm spinner was all guns blazing in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy as he claimed a 5-wicket-haul and scored a half-century in the opener and also recorded his best bowling figures in an innings in Test cricket, taking seven wickets (7/42) to bundle out Australia for 113 in their second innings on day three of the second Test on Sunday.

"To be fair, it felt as if he never went away. In the series where he was not available at home, Axar was taking 5 wickets every time he rolled his arm over. And now Axar is not able to bowl since Ravindra Jadeja is at his very best," Chopra told ESPNCricinfo.

Jadeja was adjudged Player of the match on both occasions for his exceptional performance as India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the fourth straight time with a six-wicket win in the second Test in Delhi by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

"It is Jadeja's batting I think which has made him the player he is right now. Just the confidence in his complete skill set, his entire package has made him a player who has got this immense self-belief. He comes out at bat at 4/5 and scores runs, comes to bowl on Day 1 and picks wickets, which was not his forte in the first half of his Test career.

"In my opinion, it is his batting that has made him the super-confident Jadeja that we see now," he added.

Jadeja has not played since the Asia Cup 2022 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after which a knee injury sidelined him for six months. Then, the star all-rounder Jadeja returned to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy where he led Saurashtra in the encounter against Tamil Nadu ahead of the India-Australia series.