(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is currently experiencing a dip in form with regards to his batting. The Indian cricket team often relies on him as he has proven his worth in the past by batting down the order with the tailenders.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that India is already in search of a No. 8 who can bat in the upcoming World Cup, so it becomes even more important for Jadeja to score some runs at No. 7. The left-hander is yet to hit a six in ODI cricket in 2023.
“If you take out that innings of 45 not out, his average comes down to 15. That is not a good story. He bats down the order, but still there are a lot of single-digit scores.” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.
“Another aspect that is worrying is that he has played 243 balls in 2023, has hit nine fours and is still to hit a six. This is a bit shocking. Hopefully, he does it in the World Cup and the ODI series before that where he is the vice-captain. But the numbers are not good and it has to change as Jadeja is a very vital cog. We are talking about No. 8, but Jadeja needs to score at No. 7,” he added.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also expressed concerns about Jadeja’s ODI bowling stats, in which the left-handed all-rounder has taken only 11 wickets in 71 overs bowled, with an average of 29.27.
“Looking at his bowling in ODIs in 2023, it is again not a great story. He has claimed 11 wickets in 12 matches, which includes two three-wicket hauls, one of which came against Nepal. In the other 10 matches, he has claimed only five wickets. Not a good thing with the World Cup coming up. Since 2019 World Cup, he has been taking one wicket a game on an average,” Chopra continued.
“The other thing that has been very good has been his economy. He’s been very economical, going at 4.5 runs per over since the start of 2023. It’s important for Jadeja to come into wicket-taking form,” Chopra stated.
Jadeja has scored 138 runs in 9 innings in the ODI format in 2023 with an average of 23 and a strike rate of 56.78.
Overall, the 34-year-old has played 183 ODIs for India, taking 200 wickets. In 124 innings, he has scored 2,585 runs with an average of 31.91 and a strike rate of 84.17. Jadeja has registered 13 half-centuries in ODI cricket.
He was last seen in the Asia Cup 2023, where he scored 25 runs in 3 innings and took six wickets in as many matches. The southpaw has also been included in the 15-member squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.