World Cup 2019: 5 reasons why Ravindra Jadeja should be in India's playing XI
The World Cup 2019 has commenced in England and Wales with seven matches being played out thus far in this edition. India will be featuring in its first game against South Africa at The Rose Bowl in Southampton and all eyes will be on the 'Men in Blue'.
In the lead-up to India's first game, there has been a widespread buzz about the best playing eleven that India could field but with KL Rahul essaying a classic century against Bangladesh in the warm-up encounters, the number four spot seems to be cemented for the opening game.
However, on the bowling front, India have a couple of issues to address with the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav failing to hit form in the recent past. However, one man who has impressed with his all-round skill in the recent past is Ravindra Jadeja, who has also staked a claim for a spot in the playing eleven.
Here are five reasons why Ravindra Jadeja deserves to start for India on Wednesday.
#5 Jadeja offers team balance
One of the greatest strengths of a strong unit in the World Cup is their ability to bat deep and take the game into the slog overs. Teams like Australia and New Zealand have batting up to number nine while England's No.11 in Adil Rashid can also hit the long ball.
India, on the other hand cannot bank on the likes of Kumar, Shami and Chahal to tonk the ball and this is where playing Ravindra Jadeja at No.8 provides more assurance to the top order and also improves the team balance.
Assuming that Bhuvneshwar Kumar plays in the same 11, Kumar's ability to contribute with some runs, albeit no big hits could also strengthen the overall team balance.
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