First, some ‘home truths’ — since the start of the ongoing season, Ravindra Jadeja has featured in four ODIs, and he has taken just one wicket at an average of 213. He has scored 60 runs with his highest being 32. Four matches are a small sample size, especially for someone like Jadeja, but those who have covered India’s matches during this period would agree that bowling-wise in particular, the champion all-rounder is not looking at his peak.
The new season started with question marks over the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in international cricket. Jadeja, the other ‘senior citizen’ in the Indian team, looked safe. Rohit and Kohli are now revelling in the second wind, while Jadeja appears to be under a little bit of pressure. The selectors have a like-for-like replacement in Axar Patel, who has been rested for the ongoing India versus New Zealand series with an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup. But after the ICC showpiece, when India will play a lot more ODIs in the next year and a half, Axar could be the team’s first choice unless Jadeja regains his mojo.
On Tuesday, as India were having an optional practice session at Niranjan Shah Stadium here in Rajkot, fans were allowed in a couple of enclosures. The turnout was decent for a training session that had only six cricketers. Rohit and Kohli not turning up was a let-down for the supporters, but they found their voice when Jadeja walked out in the middle. The home boy now needs some home comfort.
Rajkot, Jadeja’s home patch, has been kind to him throughout his career. In 2014, after he was dropped from the Indian team, the southpaw returned to domestic cricket, took 24 wickets at 8.25 in two matches for Saurashtra and scored 91 and 58 in two innings to earn his way back to the Team India fold. He hasn’t looked back since, going on to become one of India’s greatest-ever all-rounders.
But at 37, there’s suddenly a bit of concern, not in terms of fitness, but form-wise. Can he last until the 2027 (ODI) World Cup? “I don’t think I’m anyone to answer about any player’s future,” Sitanshu Kotak, India’s batting coach, said at the pre-match press conference. “I don’t think I should be talking anything on that, but I will still tell you that if you ask about Ravindra, he is fit, he is performing, and for anyone, as long as they are performing and they are enjoying the game, any player would want to play and do well for India and do well for the team.”
At the nets on the match eve, Jadeja was bowling slower, giving the ball a fair bit of air. He deceived Shubman Gill once in the flight, the skipper mistiming an inside-out drive over cover. Nobody knows the conditions here better than Jadeja. Can he make the second ODI his own? Top players usually respond that way.
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