It is quite evident, that ace India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja looks a bit out of place in the ODI setup. His batting and bowling returns aren’t the best now, and instead, someone like Axar Patel, perhaps deserves more chances. But then the selectors and the management are sticking to the veteran, for the confidence they have in him.
Diminishing Returns for Jadeja the Bowler
But then former chief selector Kris Srikkanth has questioned this move, and spoken about the repeated absence of Axar Patel to the side. He expressed his views after India suffered a crushing 7-wicket defeat in the second ODI in Rajkot, where he was totally ineffective as spinner.
“Jadeja is one of my favourite players. But he does not seem to know what to do. He looks caught between attacking and giving the ball flight,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. Just to remind one and all, Jadeja returned with figures of 0/44 in eight overs.
Kris Srikkanth Raises Questions
Srikkanth also questioned, the reliance on fast-bowling all-rounder, and why can’t a spin all-rounder be played instead? “It is an open secret — why not bring Axar back? Why can’t you play three spinners and three pacers? Is there a rule that the bowling all-rounder must be a medium pacer? It’s impossible to replace Hardik Pandya. You can’t. Axar would have been the ideal candidate today. The sixth bowler was missing,” he said.
“Axar has a terrific record. He did well in the Champions Trophy and won us the T20 World Cup. Suddenly, he is nowhere. Where is Axar Patel? The team is suffering at the end of the day.” Axar, meanwhile has a decent record. where in 71 ODIs he has 75 wickets to his name. As far as batting is concerned, he has scored three fifties as well.
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