India vs Australia: Ravindra Jadeja joins Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni in an elite list

Ravindra Jadeja thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and his teammates on Tuesday after the all-rounder joined an elite list comprising of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.

During the second Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Jadeja became only the third Indian cricketer to feature in at least 50 matches across all three formats of the sport. The two being Kohli and Dhoni.

Team India defeated Australia by eight wickets in the Boxing Day Test to level the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar at 1-1 with two Tests remaining. After the game ended in four days, Jadeja thanked his teammates in a post on social media along with pictures with Kohli and Dhoni.

"It's a great honour to join Mahi Bhai and Virat as the only others to have played 50 games across all 3 formats for India. A big thank you to the BCCI, my team mates, the brilliant support staff for showing faith in me and for always backing me.

Onwards and upwards. Jai Hind," Jadeja wrote in a tweet.

https://twitter.com/imjadeja/status/1343832237087703040

The Melbourne Test was Jadeja's 50th appearance for India in the longest format, while he has represented his country in 168 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 50 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) since his maiden international game in 2009.

One of the most successful limited-overs captains Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in August, had played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is. Meanwhile, the current Indian captain Kohli, who has been named the Male Cricketer of the Decade by the International Cricket Council (ICC), has played 87 Tests, 251 ODIs, and 85 T20Is for India so far.

Jadeja, who made his India debut during the Men in Blue's tour of Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Dhoni, was given his Test debut in 2012. With over 4,000 runs and 400+ wickets for India, across all formats, Jadeja has been a genuine all-rounder for his country in recent times. Among the all-rounders, Jadeja is currently ranked No. 3 in Tests, while he is the joint-No. 7 in the ODIs. Apart from 216 wickets in 50 Tests, Jadeja also averages 35.66 with the bat. He has nine five-for and a 10-for in the five-day format for India.

In the recently concluded Boxing Day Test, Jadeja made a vital contribution, with both bat and ball. He built a 121-run crucial stand with Ajinkya Rahane in India's first innings that helped the tourists to post a total of 326. In the process, Jadeja scored his 15th half-century in Test cricket. In the final innings, Jadeja dismissed Australia's opening batsman Matthew Wade for 40 before he removed the Aussie skipper Tim Paine later in the day as India bowled out the hosts for 200. In the final innings, India chased down the target of 71 in 15.5 overs with eight wickets to spare.

India and Australia have a break for a few days before they face off in the New Year's Test, starting from Jan. 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).