ICC World Cup 2019 | Ravindra Jadeja should be given a chance against Sri Lanka, opines Mohammad Azharuddin
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Mohammad Azharuddin is of the opinion that the skill set of Ravindra Jadeja that helps him excel in every department of the game can add to India’s game and hence the all-rounder should be given a chance in their next game. He went on to discuss the other aspects of India’s World Cup campaign.
Even though India has had a very successful World Cup campaign so far having lost just one of their eight games and have already won a ticket to the semi-finals, the performance of the middle order has been a source of constant concern. On top of that, injuries to Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar apart from different conditions have always played their role in affecting the team balance. It seems like the Men in Blue are yet to sort out their best playing XI and ex-skipper Mohammad Azharuddin feels that the multi-talented Ravindra Jadeja would fit in well in the team.
“In the last game [against Bangladesh] I thought maybe Jadeja could have played because you had a very thin batting line-up. Jadeja on these wickets with the ball holding up and not coming on to the bat will be a force to reckon with. He is also a good fielder and a lusty batsman. They should try him against Sri Lanka,” Azhar was reported saying by scroll.in.
Whie Kedhar Jadhav has underperformed with the bat and has rarely got a chance to bowl, Vijay Shankar could not impress much either before getting injured. Dinesh Karthik, who played his first match of the campaign against Bangladesh, also ended up getting only eight runs. However with the match against Sri Lanka essentially a dead rubber, the team has a chance to experiment before deciding upon their XI for the semifinal.
“Definitely the middle order has not done well. You need to be prepared because sometimes the three wickets fall early. Rishabh Pant coming back has given the team some stability. But still, a lot was expected from Kedar Jadhav but he has not delivered. You need to have a relook at the players who are going to play in the semi-finals,” Azhar added.
While Azharuddin felt that MS Dhoni should not be made the scapegoat for the middle order’s failure, he said it was high time that the players started playing with more positivity and aggression.Â
“Sometimes you have to get on with the game. If you lose your wicket it’s fine but you have to score runs. You have to apply yourself, you can’t play scoring shots all the time.
“Of course they can win the tournament, they have just lost one game. With another three games to go, they can definitely lay hands on the trophy,” the 56-year-old concluded.
