India vs. Australia: Star All-Rounder Jadeja Joins Kohli, Dhoni In An Elite List

India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja joined Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in an elite list during the second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Jadeja became only the third Indian cricketer, after Kohli and Dhoni, to have played at least 50 matches in all three formats of the game.

The recently concluded Boxing Day Test was Jadeja's 50th appearance in the whites for India, while he has played 168 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 50 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) since his debut in 2009.

Former Indian skipper Dhoni, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, had played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is. Kohli, who has been named the Male Cricketer of the Decade by the International Cricket Council (ICC), has featured in 87 Tests, 251 ODIs and 85 T20Is for India so far.

Jadeja made his T20I and ODI debut in 2009 before he was handed his Test cap three years later. He is one of the best all-rounders India have produced in recent times. According to the ICC's latest rankings, Jadeja is No. 3 in Tests among the all-rounders, whereas he is the joint-No. 7 in the ODIs. From the 50 Tests he has played so far, Jadeja has 216 wickets to his name, along with 1,926 runs at an average of 35.66. He has nine five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket haul in the longest format of the game.

The 32-year-old made a significant contribution as an all-rounder in India's recent eight-wicket win against Australia at the MCG to level the series 1-1. He scored a 57 in India's first innings, where he built a crucial 121-run partnership with his stand-in-skipper Ajinkya Rahane as the Indian team managed to reach a respectable total of 326. In the final innings, he dismissed settled Aussie opener Matthew Wade and skipper Tim Paine.

After the match, Jadeja thanked his teammates and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for having his back all this while.

"It's a great honor to join Mahi Bhai and Virat as the only others to have played 50 games across all 3 formats for India. A big thank you to the BCCI, my teammates, the brilliant support staff for showing faith in me and for always backing me. Onwards and upwards. Jai Hind," Jadeja wrote in a tweet.