New Delhi (Nilesh Tiwari): In an effort to lift some pressure off the side when they play Australia in the fourth test, which begins in Melbourne next week, Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has called for better batting from the big boys at the top of the order.
Despite yet another top order failure, the tourists managed to salvage a draw in the rain-shortened third game in Brisbane, locking the five-match series at 1-1 ahead of the eagerly awaited Boxing Day showdown.
Jadeja helped India avoid the follow-on with a crucial 77 lower down the order in the first innings but said it was time for the specialists to fire.
“It’s important for the top order to score runs when you play outside of India, especially in Australia and South Africa,” Jadeja said at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“There is certainly greater pressure and responsibility on the lower and middle order, if the top order does not deliver runs or a good start for us. I hope they make it count in this match. We require them to perform as a unit. The team will perform well enough if everyone in the batting department delivers.”.
With games in Melbourne and Sydney still to play, India hopes to win a third straight series in Australia, and Jadeja stated they were happy to be tied with them at this point. He went on to say, “The next two matches will be interesting.”
We absolutely won the last two series here, so if we win one more, we win the series. This is a great opportunity. This is a really important game. While Jadeja acknowledged that there is no dearth of talent in the country, he and India will miss the experience of the spin leader Ravichandran Ashwin, who announced his retirement after the last game.
“We need to move on, and hopefully we’ll get another good bowler and all-rounder,” Jadeja said.
“Any young player joining the team now has a good chance to establish themselves at this level,” he added.
