'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
If the selection surprises for the Oval Test weren't enough, Team India dropped a major bombshell by sending out all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to bat at no.5, ahead of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Fans were left confused by the decision even as experts scrambled to find the correct rationale. One school of thought suggests that the management wanted to maintain the left hand-right hand combination at the crease to unsettle the England bowlers. Jadeja has certainly looked more technically correct than the only other southpaw in the Indian team, Pant, in the series and has also scored more runs than him.
A more radical logic would be them trying out Ravindra Jadeja up the order in order to protect Rahane and Pant from the new ball, something like a semi-night watchman. Sunil Gavaskar on air even suggested that perhaps Rahane wasn't ready with his gear to come out to bat and thus Ravindra Jadeja had to go ahead.
Nevertheless, Twitterati had their own logics, opinions, one-liners, and best of all, memes, in their reactions to the decision. The following are the best of the lot:
England bowlers all over Ravindra Jadeja in the first few overs
If this is an audition for Ravindra Jadeja, the batsman, then it can get more difficult than this. England's bowlers initially struggled with the new ball but found their mojo when the lacquer came off and it started to swing. Chris Woakes got Rohit Sharma edging a length ball and KL Rahul followed without adding anything to the scoreboard, lbw against Ollie Robinson.
James Anderson then did what he does best, lured Cheteshwar Pujara into an awkward poke on the fifth stump and sent the no.3 batsman packing. India at Lunch on Day 1 are 54-3, with Virat Kohli looking good at 18 and Ravindra Jadjea somehow keeping it away with a 19-ball 2.
This promotion could turnout to be either a masterstroke or a horrible punt gone wrong, all depending on how Ravindra Jadeja fares at the crease.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
