Laxman Sivaramakrishnan lauds Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion in limited-overs cricket
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has stated that Ravindra Jadeja’s recall to the limited-overs cricket is a welcome development and he would have done that without any second thoughts. He further went on to state that India hold the edge against Pakistan in the Super Four encounter.
Jadeja returned to the limited-overs international cricket after 480 days of hiatus and the return couldn’t have been sweeter. He picked up four wickets to bag the man of the match award and the performance helped him storm back into the contention for the next year’s World Cup, scheduled to be held in England. While it is too early to state the same, considering the fact that the wrist-spinning duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal haven’t done much wrong, Sivaramakrishnan believes that Jadeja belongs to the league and lauded the left-arm spinner’s achievement.
"Hardik Pandya's injury-enforced absence will necessitate at least one change in the XI. If I was a part of the think-tank, I would formalise Ravindra Jadeja's return to white-ball internationals without a second thought. Jadeja's recall after having been out of the limited-overs scheme of things for 13 months is a welcome development," the cricketer-turned-commentator wrote in his column for TOI.
"He has fought his way back through supreme commitment. Furthermore, apart from his canny bowling, he is worth 10-15 runs on the field alone, and offers a left-handed batting option in the middle-order that can be particularly handy against leg-spinners and left-arm spinners," he added.
India had a score to settle with Pakistan in this Asia Cup after the Champions Trophy ignominy last year and they did it in a fashion that would leave cricket world gasping for breath. The Indians were convincing in all three aspects of the game and thrashed the arch-rivals by eight wickets. However, the lanky Chennai leg-spinner believes that the result of the previous India-Pakistan encounter, except for the morale-boosting factor, doesn’t matter in the upcoming super four
"There is very little about each other that India and Pakistan don't know, yet there is no discernible pattern whenever they square up. India have the psychological edge going into their Super Four face-off on Sunday, but in tangible terms, beyond the feel-good factor, their eight-wicket win in the league stage will have no bearing on the outcome," Sivaramakrishnan wrote
Thanks to the hot and humid conditions in the Emirates, spinners have been more prevalent in this Asia Cup so far, with pacers being reduced to a mere footnote. So, Siva added that since Asia cup series is being played in only two stadia, it would be appropriate for India to go on with only two fast bowlers in the upcoming matches.
“Given the conditions in Dubai, with the temperatures in the early 40s and the pitches somewhat tired after having hosted so many games in so little time, India can afford to go in with only two quicks in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. That will mean one of the spinners will have to bowl in the Powerplay. My choice would be Yuzvendra Chahal, who is used to such a scenario in both international and IPL cricket, and is at home operating with a newish ball," he analysed.
“When the teams met at the same venue a couple of days back, the stakes weren't massive. This time, the outcome will have a massive influence on qualification to the final, so I anticipate greater nerves. I know it is clichéd, but the team that keeps its composure will be the one smiling at the end of a terrific night," Sivaramakrishnan wrote about the upcoming Indo-Pak clash,” he concluded.