India has announced their squads for the upcoming T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka and Ravindra Jadeja is not part of either of them. Whilst mixed signals were coming from the Indian camp over the past few days on everything from team composition and captains, news is breaking of the final 15-man squads for the T20 and ODI series. Several surprises were awaiting with the inclusion of recent T20 retirees, Virat Kholi and Rohit Sharma.
Most interesting as far as the ODI team has been the exclusion of mainstay Ravindra Jadeja. This news is interesting but not entirely surprising. India is a nation blessed with great talent and it is only natural that seeks to blend in youth and young talent, which will naturally come at the expense of senior players. And considering that Sri Lanka’s are not the strongest teams in the world this is the time to ring in the change. However, the question must be asked: who will replace Ravindra Jadeja as the spin-bowling batsman lower down the order?
An Indian Team Without Ravindra Jadeja
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It had to happen. The mainstay in the Indian lower order as a holding batsman with the ability to hit the big shots, and an attacking left-arm bowler that picks up crucial wickets whilst strangling the opposition batsman for runs with tight bowling will be missed. But India has options. Good options. But for a world-class side, what it needs is a top-class one.
Axar Patel has already proven himself as an attacking slow left-arm bowler and with some big-hitting abilities. His crucial 47 off 30 innings in the World T20 final was a decisive one in the final scheme of things. And if Patel is to excel as a fully-fledged batting all-rounder, he would need to bring an element of consistency to his batting. Washington Sundar is another young talent who can fill this role, but he will need time and application to prove himself, and the upcoming series against Sri Lanka would be a great opportunity.
Jadeja’s Replacement Needs to be an Ace in the Field
It is not without reason that Jadeja was and is considered to be among the best fielders in the world. Along with Virat Kohli, he added a new dimension to Indian fielding that was missing in the past, which was lifted to a new level with this class of players. The nature of the modern game is such that being able to save that extra 5 – 10 runs per game is critical along with the ability to pull off those half-chances that can change the course of the game.
Whoever becomes the top choice as the spin bowling all-rounder for India needs to be live wire in the field. Whilst good fielding is a natural facet of the modern game, what sets apart a player like Ravindra Jadeja is his quality as one of the best in the business. If India Cricket is looking for a pace-bowling all-rounder there is already a star option in Hardik Panday, who looks good to play for another five years.
A Player Who Performs under Pressure
One of the roles that Sir Jadeja mastered in his time was that of a reliable lower-order finisher. The ability to score runs in quick time and then to switch to a higher gear when it comes to attacking the bowling is a skill Ravindra Jadeja mastered. The famous win for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL final 2023 is one such example. In other words, Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement needs to be a complete ODI player: batting, fielding, and bowling, and he needs to be better than most.
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