"I rate him above Ben Stokes" - Aakash Chopra says Ravindra Jadeja is the best all-rounder in Test cricket at the moment

Aakash Chopra believes Ravindra Jadeja is the best all-rounder in Test cricket at the moment, ahead of the likes of Ben Stokes.

Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 175 in India's first innings of the ongoing Mohali Test against Sri Lanka. His knock helped the hosts declare their innings at a massive score of 574/8. However, he was not done as he also scalped the prized wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne during Sri Lanka's first innings.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra placed Ravindra Jadeja on a high pedestal. He observed:

"We declare this today that if we talk about Test cricket, Ravindra Jadeja is the best all-rounder on the planet at this point in time. I rate him above Ben Stokes as well. If we talk about the current scenario, as a batter and bowler, as a complete package, Jadeja is the best all-rounder."

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Ben Stokes is the only other all-rounder in world cricket who can compete with Jadeja. Chopra elaborated:

"Only one player comes near him - I am not counting Cameron Green in that, he is good but still very young - I am talking about Ben Stokes. His bowling does not work that much in Test cricket, he is a batting all-rounder."

Jadeja is currently placed third in the ICC Test all-rounder rankings. While Jason Holder tops the rankings, Jadeja also trails his fellow Indian Ravichandran Ashwin.

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"We say Ravindra Jadeja scores runs at home" - Aakash Chopra

Ravindra Jadeja averages a healthy 43.36 in Tests played in India

Aakash Chopra highlighted that much like Jadeja, Stokes enjoys better returns with the bat in familiar conditions. He explained:

"We say Jaddu scores runs at home. Ben Stokes has also scored a majority of his runs in his areas. He is not going to score 150-175 when he comes to India, contributions will be there but it cannot be as significant as they are at home."

The 44-year-old concluded by reiterating that Jadeja is a better Test all-rounder than Stokes. Chopra reasoned:

"We say the same thing about Jaddu. He has scored 175, 100 and 90 at home and when he goes away, it remains 50-70 runs. And he is a bowling all-rounder, Ben Stokes is a batting all-rounder. So in my opinion, Ravindra Jadeja is the best all-rounder in the world at the moment."

Aakash Chopra also highlighted that Jadeja could have scored a double century on Day 2 of the Mohali Test if Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid had allowed him to do so. He added that personal milestones are not discussed when Dravid is in the dressing room.