NEW DELHI: Saurashtra teammates know Ravindra Jadeja as one of the most ‘extrovert’ cricketers around. Those who have seen him in Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings remember ‘Jaddu’ as an outspoken and interactive character.
But on Wednesday, as Team India pulled off an embarrassing defeat in Canberra, Jadeja’s attitude came under scanner. Despite being no rabbit with the bat, the 27-year-old failed to rotate strike when it mattered most. Even though he made 24 off 27 balls, his effort has irked former cricketers.
Considered a good finisher in shorter formats, Jadeja went on the defensive when wickets tumbled at the other end. Admitting that he should have ‘communicated’ more with the tail-enders, Dhoni revealed Jadeja doesn’t talk much! “A bit more communication will help. I don’t think he’s someone who speaks a lot. It’s something that will have to be taken into account,” Dhoni said.
He accepted that being the last recognised batsman, Jadeja should have taken the pressure off tail-enders. “The main batsman has to communicate with lower-order batsmen, because he is the most experienced among them. It’s just not about your batting. You have to tell others what the bowler may be doing at that time, and what the batsman should be looking at,” Dhoni said.
Despite Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan slamming centuries, India lost nine wickets for 46 runs, and former cricketers felt it was time seniors like Jadeja stepped up. “In cricket, communication is the key to success. It’s unfortunate to see players like Jadeja failing to take things their way. He had to show resilience, but goofed it up,” former India cricketer Madan Lal told Express.
A member of the 1983 World Cup winning side, Lal insists it’s time the team management gets house in order. “Such things are taught in domestic cricket. After playing for so many years, if you can’t stand up to pressure, then that’s really saddening,” he said, adding that such mistakes could hamper India’s chances in the World T20. “You have to take tough decisions. Seniors like Jadeja will have to show maturity.”
Is there any communication gap in the team? Former national selector Raja Venkat feels instead of pointing fingers at some particular player, captain Dhoni should ensure things don’t go haywire. “Is Dhoni being able to communicate with his teammates? As captain, he should have sent messages to Jadeja on how to handle the situation. That didn’t happen. So the problem is deep inside,” he said.
Stat of the art
Scoreboard
Australia: Warner b Ishant 93, Finch c Ishant b Yadav 107, M Marsh c Kohli b Yadav 33, S Smith c Singh b Ishant 51, Maxwell c sub b Ishant 41, Bailey c Rohit b Ishant 10, Faulkner b Yadav 0, Wade (run out) 0, Hastings (not out) 0. Extras (lb7 w6) 13, Total (8 wickets, 50 overs) 348. Fall of wickets: 1-187, 2-221, 3-288, 4-298, 5-319, 6-319, 7-321, 8-348. Bowling: Yadav 10-1-67-3, Kumar 8-0-69-0, Ishant 10-0-77-4, Gurkeerat 3-0-24-0, Rishi 9-0-53-0, Jadeja 10-0-51-0.
India: Rohit c Wade b Richardson 41, Dhawan c Bailey b Hastings 126, Kohli c Smith b Richardson 106, Dhoni c Wade b Hastings 0, Gurkeerat c sub b Lyon 5, Jadeja (not out) 24, Rahane c Smith b Richardson 2, Rishi c Warner b Richardson 9, Kumar c Smith b Richardson 2, Yadav c Bailey b Marsh 2, Ishant c Wade b Marsh 0. Extras (w5 nb1) 6, Total (10 wickets, 49.2 overs) 323. Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-277, 3-277, 4-278, 5-286, 6-294, 7-308, 8-311, 9-315. Bowling: Lyon 10-0-76-1, Richardson 10-1-68-5, Hastings 10-0-50-2, Faulkner 7-0-48-0, Marsh 9.2-0-55-2, Maxwell 1-0-10-0, Smith 2-0-16-0.