'He's done it for so many years': KL Rahul shows what India miss without Ravindra Jadeja in their Playing XI

Premier batter KL Rahul heaped praise on star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for his gritty 77-run knock as India managed to avoid follow-on on Day 4 of the Brisbane Test. After warming the bench for the first two Tests, Jadeja got the chance to play XI in Brisbane, but things didn't work out for him with the bowl. However, he left a lasting impact with the bat when the chips were down and scored 77 runs off 123 balls. Ravindra Jadeja (L) and KL Rahul bump gloves between the overs on day four of the third cricket Test match between Australia and India.(AFP)

Rahul and Jadeja forged a 67-run stand for the sixth wicket to stabilise the Indian innings after skipper Rohit Sharma's early departure.

The Indian opener was all praise for Jadeja's batting prowess lower down the order as he once again rescued India from a tricky situation.

“Jadeja was brilliant today. He has been brilliant batting down the order for us for many, many years. That’s what we expect from Jadeja. He’s proven that he can do this and he’s done this for so many years. I was also really happy that, firstly, I could stitch a partnership with him when he came in," said Rahul at the press conference after the day’s play at the Gabba.

Rahul said that Jadeja's knock was the need of the hour as he managed to stitch small partnerships with the tail to lead India's fightback when they were on the verge of facing follow-on.

“It was really needed at that stage. And then he went on to score 70-80 runs with the tailenders. Every run today was crucial for us just to get past that follow-on firstly. And see how much or how many runs we can put on board. So, he made that possible. And, yeah, he’s a very experienced guy. He’s played there for so many years,” he added.

It wasn't the first time when Jadeja took the onus on himself and rescued India with his valiant knocks in the lower middle order. Earlier this year, he played a couple of crucial knocks against England, where he stitched crucial partnerships with the lower-middle order and tail to bring India back into the game. He also forged a 199-run stand with his spin-partner Ravichandran Ashwin against Bangladesh at Chennai in the home season this season to set up the foundation of a big win.

He has also played some memorable knocks in overseas conditions including a century and nine half-centuries in his career so far.

‘Often, it’s only Jadeja’s bowling that’s spoken about’: KL Rahul

Rahul further advocates Jadeja's batting ability which often gets overshadowed by his bowling. The Indian opener asserted that Jadeja tends to keep his batting simple and get the job done for the team.

“Jadeja understands exactly what he needs to do and how he needs to perform and get runs for the team at that stage. Often, it’s only Jadeja’s bowling that’s spoken about. But I think he’s been a great performer even with the bat. He has a really solid technique and I enjoy batting with him. I enjoy watching him play and watching him train at practice. He seems to have his game plan really simple and really sorted. So, really happy that he could come into the team and do the job for us,” said Rahul.

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