Alastair Cook bats for Dhruv Jurel's batting promotion over Ravindra Jadeja

Former England captain Alastair Cook has weighed in on India's batting order dynamics, advocating for a change that could see all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja move down the order to make way for the young and energetic Dhruv Jurel.

Cook highlighted Jadeja's struggle under pressure and supported the idea of a lower batting position for him, aligning more suitably with the all-rounder's playing style. Despite acknowledging Jadeja's skills, Cook believes the adjustment would benefit his overall performance. Notably, Cook's core argument centers around providing opportunities to dynamic and up-and-coming talents like Jurel to demonstrate their abilities in critical moments. He highlighted Jurel's adept balance, citing the precision in his footwork and mental sharpness, even while defending.

“Jadeja, in particular, showed probably why he should be batting a little lower; Jadeja was just dead-batting everything, there’s no chance of getting any runs whatsoever," Cook told TNT Sports.

“Jurel found that balance perfectly with his foot movement and sharpness of the mind. Even while Jurel is defending, he’s so sharp when he’s ticking the ball on the leg-side, if it’s perfect, he may get a run. I’m not calling Jadeja a bad player at all, he [Jurel] might have slightly better ball manoeuvering than Jadeja,” the former England skipper further added.

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Jadeja struggled in terms of taking no risks because he didn’t want to get out or trying to put pressure back on as a batter: Cook

Besides, Alastair Cook recognizes Jadeja's capability to score runs but highlights his challenges under pressure. Despite being a world-class all-rounder, Jadeja struggled at number five due to his overcautious approach and reluctance to take risks.

“Yes, he can score runs but the ability under pressure – pressure does funny things to you. Jadeja is a world-class all-rounder, but batting at five, there he struggled in terms of taking no risks because he didn’t want to get out or trying to put a bit of pressure back on as a batter," Cook concluded.

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Ravindra Jadeja's return from injury saw him shine in the third Test with a notable century (112 off 225), but his discomfort in India's second innings in the fourth Test raised concerns. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel's impressive performances in Ranchi earned him the Player of the Match award.

With the series firmly in India's control, the focus shifts to the final Test in Dharamshala, set to begin from March 7, England seek a comeback for a 3-2 series conclusion, while the young Indian side aim to sustain dominance, targeting a 4-1 series victory by emerging victorious in the last match. The impending Test sets the stage for an absorbing battle between these two Test cricket powerhouses.