India vs Australia 2017: 5 key player battles to watch out for

#3 Ravindra Jadeja vs Steve Smith

Jadeja has taken his game to the next level during this home season

The last time these two teams met on Indian soil, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed the Australian captain on six out eight possible occasions. The left-arm spinner later proved to be a thorn in skipper Hashim Amla’s flesh when South Africa visited India in 2015. Even during the recent series against England, he left captain Cook gasping for breath with his relentlessness.

India will be hoping that his special bond with opposition skippers continues in this series too. In the previous edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they found themselves sickened at the very thought of Steve Smith coming into bat. Though pitches are not likely to be as accommodating for batsmen this time around, Jadeja’s assiduity will be vital in negating the game’s top-ranked batsman.