While the fourth Test between India and England is currently going on, the team selection made headlines. It left everyone surprised also when the team management decided to send Ravindra Jadeja to bat at number five at Kennington Oval in London. And, Shardul Thakur has revealed the reason.

Notably, Jadeja failed to leave a mark as well. In the last three games of this five-match Test series, Jadeja has batted lower down the order and scored some crucial runs also. Since he was in good touch and the team decided to use his form to have a right hand-left hand combination along with skipper Virat Kohli as well.

READ HERE: Shaun Tait explains why speedsters struggle to bowl 150+kmph

While replying to a question asked by Sportskeeda at the virtual press conference after Day 1, Shardul Thakur said: “We have seen that on a number of occasions Jadeja has scored crucial runs and coming to England, if you saw his batting in the first Test and also at Lord’s in the first innings, he’s been trying to stay on the pitch, he’s batting patiently and just to use that left-right combination we sent him up the order.”

However, Shardul Thakur played a crucial knock where he punished every English bowler after Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane failed to get going. The young all-rounder smashed one of the fastest fifties in Test cricket history and helped his side to go past 150 in the first innings as well.

Meanwhile, former India cricketer turned renowned commentator Aakash Chopra has predicted Team India to start their second innings in the third session of Day 2 of the Oval Test as well. Virat Kohli led Team India managed to post 191 runs in their first innings whereas England put up 53 runs in their first innings, trailing by 138 runs before the stumps as well.

READ HERE: Aakash Chopra opens up on New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra shared that Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul could be batting after tea on the second day as well. He said: “India will be batting in the third session. If there is a lead, it will not be a big one. This is what I am expecting from this day.”