Former India opener Aakash Chopra has raised concerns over Ravindra Jadeja’s form following the first ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand. Chopra added that Jadeja’s performances have dipped and that he is falling behind Axar Patel in the race between the two left-arm spin all-rounders.
Team India opened the ODI series against New Zealand with a four-wicket win in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. The Men in Blue successfully chased a target of 301 runs with one over remaining. Jadeja had a quiet outing in the match, bowling nine overs, conceding 56 runs, and failing to take a wicket.
With the bat, Jadeja scored a four off five balls before getting out. The left-handed batter hit a delivery from Kyle Jamieson straight to Kristian Clarke at mid-on.
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Axar Patel Is Ahead of Ravindra Jadeja – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra shared his views on the all-rounder debate while reviewing the match. He said that if an ODI World Cup were to take place right now, Axar Patel would be ahead of Ravindra Jadeja in the team selection race.
“What is happening with Jadeja? If you have a race between Jadeja and Axar Patel in white-ball cricket, I think Axar is ahead. He is winning this race. He has once again been made the T20I vice-captain,” Chopra said.
“Even in ODI cricket, if the World Cup had been starting tomorrow and the Indian team had to pick one spinner between the two, India would have picked Axar Patel because Ravindra Jadeja is playing, but he is not contributing,” he added.
Jadeja Picked Up One Wicket In Last Four Matches – Aakash Chopra
Chopra said that Jadeja has struggled to make an impact in recent ODIs with both bat and ball. He pointed out that Jadeja has taken one wicket in his last four matches and has not completed his full bowling quota in any of those games.
“In bowling, in the last four matches, he picked up one wicket against South Africa and no wicket here. I don’t think he has completed his quota of overs even once. In batting, you send him even at No. 5, that he can go ahead of KL Rahul, but a lot of runs aren’t being scored. I won’t judge him with one inning, but it’s not right,” he observed.
Ravindra Jadeja’s Recent Performances Are Slightly Under the Scanner – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra said that he has great respect for Ravindra Jadeja, but his recent ODI performances have not been up to his past standards. The former cricketer also pointed out that India are unlikely to play more than one left-arm finger spinner in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“Ravindra Jadeja’s recent performances are slightly under the scanner. I am just saying it as I see it. I have a lot of respect for Jadeja. He is an excellent player and has served Indian cricket a lot, but at this point in time, he is not cutting it properly yet in ODI cricket,” he said.
“Let’s be honest and fair, come South Africa, you will be able to take only one left-arm spinner. It’s not Dubai. This is not the Champions Trophy where you can take four spinners and play three. You will be able to play only two there. So the two upcoming games are going to be extremely crucial from Jadeja’s perspective,” Chopra observed.
Ravindra Jadeja has had mixed returns in ODIs over the last year. He scored 106 runs from seven ODI innings at an average of 53.00. With the ball, he took 12 wickets in 10 ODI innings at an average of 33.41.
Also read: Revealed: Why Axar Patel wasn’t named Washington Sundar’s replacement for New Zealand ODIs?
