Surprised to see guys like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli stop bowling, reveals Ajay Jadeja

As the Indian team suffers from a dearth of quality batting all-rounders, former India batsman Ajay Jadeja questioned why batsmen like skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who used to bowl stopped from rolling their occasionally. India went into the second ODI against Australia with only five bowlers in the team on a flat Rajkot pitch.

Jadeja shared the importance of having a sixth and seventh bowler in the team like Marnus Labuschagne in the Aussie side who can roll his arm for an over or two when the bowlers go for runs. Going with five bowlers is a disadvantage and a team can’t afford in modern-day cricket.

“That’s something the team needs to work one. I am surprised, in the modern-day cricket even if you don’t do it you’re going to come in. A few years earlier, if you aren’t a good enough fielder then it used to be okay but you have to be a good fielder now. So like you have set standards for Indian cricket, I am surprised to see that guys who used to bowl, whether it’s Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, have stopped bowling. Because there are conditions where such bowling works,” Jadeja said on a Cricbuzz podcast.

The former international urged the team management to look into the matter and encourage to take up bowling. He expressed his surprise on the fact such a thought hasn’t crossed the mind of the team’s think tank yet.

“If you are looking to improve your side, you have given up food, you have given up partying. You are giving up on many things and striving to be the best. So why not start think of working on this aspect. It surprises me that the Indian team hasn’t even thought of it. We are discussing that they are only five bowlers and nobody to bowl, then somebody has to start bowling,” he concluded.