Ravindra Jadeja has not been amongst the runs or wickets in the recent past in ODIs.
All-rounders in any format of the game are of extreme importance. Add to that qualities of being a live wire on the field, and the chances of walking into the XI irrespective of the format become far from negligible. Such has been the case for Ravindra Jadeja until now.
However, his numbers in the 50-over format have not been very promising lately, which will be a point of concern for the Men in Blue. The left-handed all-rounder has registered just a solitary wicket in his last five ODI appearances.
To add to that, his last ODI half-century came in 2020. And to go a notch further, his last ODI half-century at home came in 2013 which doesn’t justify the quality that he possesses. With Axar Patel waiting on the sidelines, the job will only get tougher for the all-rounder from Saurashtra.
Former India speedster Zaheer Khan and Ajinkya Rahane expressed their opinions on the all-rounder position in the Indian ODI setup currently. Both of them voiced that there are no doubts on the quality that Jadeja possesses. However, he will have to pull up his socks in the 50-over format.
“Jadeja has pushed the bar really high for someone like Axar to really push him in that place, and that is just a sign of a good team. When teams are doing well, guys keep pushing each other. Axar Patel is rested, so it is up to Ravindra Jadeja to be aware of that and keep focusing,” said Zaheer Khan.
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Former India skipper Ajinkya Rahane stated that Ravindra Jadeja has the ability to bowl with a similar pace throughout the innings, which may be working against him. However, he feels that Jadeja can be a much better prospect if he starts varying his pace as per the conditions.
The Indian all-rounder has the knack of getting through his overs in very quick time. But with his speeds being all the same, it gets very predictable for the batter to judge the length early and be prepared for the shot.
Ajinkya Rahane stated that with Axar Patel, there is a strength of variation that he brings to the table. Axar can vary his speeds, which make it difficult for the batter to determine the trajectory of the delivery. To add to that, Axar has the ability to use the angles really well, and can bowl wide of the crease.
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