RANCHI: Peter Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis were easing their way through the middle overs during the second ODI in Nagpur. They were not exactly at their fluent best but India were finding it hard to break Australia’s fifth-wicket stand.
Up stepped Ravindra Jadeja. Handscomb tried to take a quick single after chopping the ball towards backward point. Everyone realised the Aussie’s mistake sooner than he did. The Saurashtra native swooped onto the ball in a flash and in one perfect motion, sent a powerful, flat throw at the non-striker’s end. It was curtains for Handscomb.
While Virat Kohli and Vijay Shankar deservedly walked away with most of the plaudits on Tuesday, that brilliant piece of fielding was what galvanised the team at that stage. Something that Cricket Australia’s Twitter account also mentioned. It has been said by selectors and the team management that most of the Word Cup-bound squad selects itself. Has the 30-year-old done enough to merit a place?
The left-arm spinner was out of the ODI scheme of things for over a year. Not an easy place to be in mentally. Since his comeback match in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh in Dubai, Jadeja has picked up 17 wickets in 13 outings. Not prolific by any means. But his biggest strength is his stinginess and he has proved that since his return, with an economy rate of 4.64, best for an Indian in the period.
“Jadeja is an asset, no doubt about it,” said former India spinner Maninder Singh. “He knows his limitations but more importantly he is aware of his strengths and he sticks to them time and time again. When you keep bowling such a claustrophobic line, you might not always reap the benefits but your team eventually will.”
A case in point: in the first ODI in Hyderabad, he put in 33 dot balls and in Nagpur, he managed 29. In tight contests, those are the fine margins which decide the outcome. All these not only put pressure back on the opposition but also induced mistakes: example Shaun Marsh. A good player of spin, he tried to attack Jadeja but paid the price for it.
What changes have been noticed in his bowling since Asia Cup? “I don’t think he has changed too much. Maybe he was trying too many things during the Champions Trophy. Like trying to give the ball more air. But his strength is bowling fast and on target. Which he is doing now. Now the team management must decide whether they want a seam-bowling all-rounder or a spin-bowling one as Hardik Pandya’s backup,” Maninder added.
Since both R Ashwin and Jadeja were replaced by Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, the duo has become India’s biggest strengths with most batsmen unable to decipher them. But as Kuldeep admitted recently, both are learning from Jadeja as well and the competition for spots between the three is also a bonus.
In overseas conditions, especially in England, where it is going to be dry, taking three spinners may not be a bad idea. Unlike, Chahal and Kuldeep he can be more than handy with the bat. Though he has not really made a major impression since his return, in the past he has shown he can use the long handle to good effect in long format.
Even on Tuesday, he came in after Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni were dismissed off successive balls. He displayed maturity in reading the situation and gave Kohli the majority of the batting.
Add to it that he is India’s best fielder. Not to mention the experience of playing in 149 ODIs. India definitely have a tough choice to make. But whoever the selectors and team management plump for, Jadeja has surely done his chances no harm.