Australia vs India 2018: BCCI confirms Ravindra Jadeja's availability for Boxing Day Test

What's the story?

Virat Kohli and co. have been handed a huge boost ahead of the third Test against Australia. Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been declared fit and available for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) announced on 23rd December.

The background

Jadeja has not played many games this year, only featuring against England in place of injured Ravichandran Ashwin. The Indian team has played as many as 10 Tests outside India and the all-rounder could only feature in 1 game against England.

In the fifth Test against England, he picked four wickets and scored an unbeaten 86 runs in the first innings. He also bagged three more wickets in the second innings.

The heart of the matter

After the conclusion of the ODI series against West Indies, Jadeja had complained of left shoulder discomfort. He felt the same during the practice match against Cricket Australia XI and was only 70% fit. For this reason, he was not included in the playing XI of the second Test.

“In the lead up to the Perth Test match on 14th December, the management and the all-rounder were of the opinion that the intensity of his bowling in the nets could have been higher, to match the standards required for such an intensely fought series. For this reason, he was not considered for selection for the 2nd Test match,” a statement released by BCCI said.

Ahead of the important encounter against Australia at Melbourne, however, the 30-year-old has been declared fit to play.

“Jadeja’s left shoulder has continued to improve and he is now available for the 3rd Test match of the series in Melbourne.”

What's next?

India have also included Hardik Pandya and Mayank Agarwal in the squad for the remaining two Tests. If Ashwin does not manage to recover in time, Jadeja might play in the third Test at Melbourne and would look to end the year on a positive note.