3 Answers to India’s ODI Middle Order puzzle

#3 Kedar Jadhav

Jadhav provides a handy bowling option as well

Kedar Jadhav has been on the fringes of the Indian team ever since he shot to prominence with a stellar 2013-14 domestic season.

Jadhav’s last ODI appearance was at Cape Town in South Africa, where he managed a solitary run. Jadhav has never had the luxury of being a certainty in the team and has been a victim of the constant chopping and changing of the team.

Many believed that this year’s IPL would re-ignite his career and put him on the national team map. However, an unfortunate hamstring injury cut short his IPL. He was forced to watch on from the sideline as his team emerged victoriously.

Kedar’s current assignment is the quadrangular series, where he is part of the India B side.

Kedar is a three-dimensional cricketer and contributes in all departments. Though he was initially looked upon as a middle-order dasher, his off-spin has proved handy on many an occasion. With Jadhav in the team, Kohli would have the luxury of a sixth bowler, a luxury he doesn’t enjoy with the current crop of middle-order batsmen.

Apart from his contribution with the ball, Jadhav can slot in seamlessly at No.6, which would enable Dhoni to bat a little higher. Jadhav is a clean hitter of the ball and would help India mount onslaughts in the ‘death overs’.

His inclusion would lend greater balance to the Indian team. Having performed on the international stage earlier, he doesn’t represent as huge a risk as some of the others. Thus, he should be given a chance to prove his worth in India’s upcoming limited-overs assignments.

A fit and firing Jadhav could just be the final piece in the World Cup jigsaw for India.