"Ravindra Jadeja will always be the first preference to play overseas" - Nikhil Chopra after 1st IND vs SL 2022 Test

Former Indian off-spinner Nikhil Chopra believes left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja will always be the first-choice all-rounder when India play away from home.

India have followed a strategy of deploying four pacers and one spinner overseas of late and Jadeja has been getting the nod ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin.

The southpaw has improved leaps and bounds as a batter over the past couple of years. This has given the team management the confidence to play Jadeja as an all-rounder at No. 7.

Speaking on the YouTube podcast 'Khelneeti', Chopra explained how Jadeja's ability to bowl his overs quickly helps India maintain a healthy over-rate in Tests.

"You can get World Test Championship points docked for a slow over-rate. So it is crucial that Jadeja plays because he ends his overs quickly and gives the pacers that extra time. So he fits perfectly in the combination."

Chopra also commented on the balance that Ravindra Jadeja's presence provides to the Indian team, especially away from home. He added:

"I feel Ravindra Jadeja will always be the first preference to play overseas for any captain. This is because he finishes his overs quickly and you can see the consistency in his batting and the balance that he provides to the side."

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Difficult to see Ravindra Jadeja, Ashwin play together overseas: Rajkumar Sharma

Former Delhi cricketer and Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma believes the Indian team favors playing just one specialist spinner overseas.

In the Test series against England last year, it was evident that Kohli liked to play with four seamers and Ravindra Jadeja as the lone spinning all-rounder. Sharma feels it is the pitch and the conditions that don't allow the Indian team to play both Ashwin and Jadeja together. He stated:

"It will depend a lot on the kind of wickets that you will get in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries. If the wickets there are conducive to fast bowling then India will play with four fast bowlers. So it will be difficult for both spinners to play together unless and until the wickets are slow."

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel has made his way back into the Indian team for the pink ball Test against Sri Lanka beginning on March 12. With the pink ball likely to provide more support for the quicks, it will be interesting to see the kind of combination Team India go in with for the second Test.