Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja: Who is a better all-rounder - In Numbers

Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja: Who is a better all-rounder (AP Photos)

Much of the talk before the final Test at The Oval is about Ben Stokes and how much England are likely to miss both his inspirational leadership and once-in-a-generation all-round talent. And as he showed in Manchester, where he scored 141 and had match figures of 6-105, there are few more influential players than Stokes when on top of his game. He has been, by a street, England’s best bowler in the series, taking 17 wickets at an average of 25, and has contributed 304 runs as well.

The opposition also have an all-rounder in their ranks, someone whose career batting and bowling averages are both better than Stokes’. But few bring up Ravindra Jadeja in any discussions about the game’s greatest all-rounders. Is that to do with a bias against spin-bowling all-rounders, or because the Indian media itself hasn’t spoken much of Jadeja in that light?

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At first glance, the numbers brook no argument. Jadeja has made nearly 4000 runs in 84 Tests while averaging 37.86. His 330 wickets, exactly 100 more than Stokes, have come at a miserly average of 25. His batting average is 10 runs better than Richard Hadlee, and he has five Test tons to Hadlee’s five. Yet, Hadlee’s name routinely crops up in great all-rounder discussions. Jadeja is considered grudgingly.

The same could be said of his long-time spin partner, R Ashwin. He retired with 537 Test wickets and six Test centuries, while averaging 25.75 with the bat. It’s true that Ashwin’s batting fell away between 2017 and 2020 and again at the end of his career, but the raw numbers alone merit consideration. It could be that Jadeja, like Ashwin, is considered a world-class performer only in Asian conditions.

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Ashwin never picked up a five-wicket haul in the SENA countries, while Jadeja has only one – in South Africa over a decade ago – to his name. In mitigation, it could be said that both played at a time when India’s focus shifted to pace-heavy attacks away from home. The second spinner rarely played, and even the primary one was tasked with holding up an end rather than employed as a wicket-taking option.

Stokes averages 41 with the ball in Australia, nearly 38 in India and 49 in New Zealand. In five Tests in Pakistan, he averaged 157 with the ball. None of this takes away from what an exceptional talent he is. It’s just that he thrives in certain conditions. Now, if only we could apply that same yardstick to Jadeja.