Rohit Sharma bats for Ravindra Jadeja's elevation in batting order

Ravindra Jadeja was not amused when an online poll conducted by his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings suggested his best batting position was No. 8. "No. 8 too early for me! Put me at 11," was Jadeja's peeved reply. Over the years, the southpaw has been assigned the role of a designated finisher. But the Rajkot allrounder's batting has improved by leaps and bounds in the past 12 months, something which could have tempted India skipper Rohit Sharma to promote the left-hander to No. 4 in the first T20I against Sri Lanka.

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Four months after the World Cup debacle in the UAE, India wear a transformed look, thanks to a fearless approach post the infusion of young blood into the team. Having ticked all the boxes in the series opener against Sri Lanka in Lucknow, the men-in-blue will look to maintain their unbeaten streak.

Jadeja missed India's last two series - against South Africa and the West Indies - as he was undergoing rehabilitation for a knee injury which he sustained during the home Test series against New Zealand last November. On Thursday, he hardly got a chance to showcase his batting prowess, scoring three off four balls. But going by Rohit's words, Jadeja could be a regular feature at the crucial No. 4 position as India look to finalise the combinations in the lead up to the World Cup, which will be held in Australia in October-November. "Very happy with Jadeja's return. We want more from him, that is why we asked him to bat higher. You will see this happening more and more in the games that he plays for India. I want him to bat up the order more," Rohit said. "He is a vastly improved batter, so we will try and see if we can