Rajkot's Festive Buzz Contrasts with Jadeja's ODI Battle
Rajkot is alive with festive energy. Locals flood the markets, preparing eagerly for Sankranti and the upcoming kite festival this Wednesday. The city buzzes with excitement, but for one of its famous sons, Ravindra Jadeja, the mood is more intense. He faces a critical challenge: holding onto his position as India's premier ODI spin-bowling all-rounder against the rising threat of Axar Patel.
Jadeja's Determined Training Regimen
Jadeja has attended every optional training session before matches. On Tuesday, his typically relaxed attitude vanished. He spent nearly an hour batting in the nets, followed by an extended bowling spell. This dedication stems from mounting pressure. With the 2027 ODI World Cup just about twenty months away, Jadeja must reestablish his credentials to stay relevant in India's ODI plans.
Sources indicate Axar Patel is currently the preferred choice for that tournament. Axar is not playing in the ongoing ODI series because selectors want to preserve him for the upcoming T20I series, leading into next month's T20 World Cup. Effectively, Jadeja is on trial. His performance now could determine his future in the ODI setup.
Team Strategy and Selection Dilemmas
This situation is part of a broader strategy. The team management aims to build a pool of backups for each position ahead of the 2027 World Cup. They prefer a left-handed batter in the middle order and someone from the top order who can bowl steady overs. This need brought Ayush Badoni into consideration after Washington Sundar's injury in Vadodara on Sunday.
If KL Rahul continues as the primary wicketkeeper-batter over Rishabh Pant, the competition narrows. It becomes a direct shootout between Jadeja and Axar for the number five slot. Observers have noted Jadeja's diminishing power-hitting recently, which adds to the scrutiny.
Axar's rapid evolution as a batter prompted the team to push him up the order during the Champions Trophy, even with Jadeja in the playing eleven on slow, turning pitches. However, the 2027 World Cup in South Africa will feature pacier, bouncier pitches. This condition may limit opportunities to include both players, especially with Hardik Pandya likely batting at number seven.
Coaching Insights and Player Opportunities
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak declined to comment on Jadeja's standing in his white-ball career. Yet, Jadeja could not have asked for a better venue to regain his attacking touch than his hometown Rajkot.
Kotak also addressed other players. He asserted that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad played in the last ODI series against South Africa only because Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were unavailable. "The positive is that both of them got hundreds. But they will have to wait for their opportunities," he said.
Concerns Over Limited ODI Matches
An underlying concern exists within the team ranks: the decreasing number of ODIs played each year. According to the current schedule, India has only about twenty-five ODIs left before the 2027 World Cup. This scarcity affects player rhythm and selection.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli now play only one format, while KL Rahul's white-ball career depends on format availability. "It's very hard to convince the likes of Rohit, Kohli and Rahul to sit out. They will always argue that they get to play far and few between to build a rhythm," sources close to the team revealed.
Before the home ODI season, discussions involved rotating Pant and Rahul. Pant might have featured in this series if not for his injury. Kotak expressed hope for more ODIs after the T20 World Cup, noting changes in playing conditions for the ODI World Cup.
