5 Reasons why Ashwin and Jadeja may be recalled into the ODI squad ahead of the 2019 World Cup

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, despite being an integral part of the Indian cricket team over the years, were suffering from an alarming dip in form ever since the conclusion of the 2015 World Cup. Their lack of form was severely affecting the overall performance of the team, which was particularly evident in the 2017 Champions Trophy, which ended with an embarrassing defeat for India at the hands of arch rivals Pakistan. Their lack of penetration in the limited over format led the team management to explore new alternatives ahead of the 2019 World Cup, with wrist spin being at the top of their priority list.

The introduction of wrist spin in the form of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal sparked wonders for India in limited overs cricket as the duo performed increasingly well with each given opportunity. Kuldeep has picked up 48 wickets from 23 matches at an average of 19.35 and a strike rate of 24.08, while Chahal has picked up 45 wickets from 26 matches at an average of 23.87 and a strike rate of 30.29. Ashwin on the other hand has had only 17 scalps from 15 matches averaging 40.58 striking every 45.4 balls and Jadeja has had 12 scalps from 17 matches at an average of 67.83 and a strike rate of 77.5 ever since the conclusion of the 2015 World Cup.

The wrist-spin twins wreaked havoc in South Africa earlier this year, picking up 33 wickets from 6 matches, leaving the South African batsmen bamboozled with their ability to extract spin irrespective of the surface and their streaky variations. The out and out success the two wrist spinners have enjoyed ever since their inclusion has made it even more difficult for their senior counterparts to make a comeback into the limited overs format.

The recently concluded series against England however showed that there are still many aspects the team management needs to look forward going into the 2019 World Cup and there might still be room for the veteran spinners to fit into the ODI squad.Here are the 5 Reasons why Ashwin and Jadeja may be recalled into the ODI squad ahead of the 2019 World Cup:

5.Experience:

Ashwin and Jadeja are experienced campaigners

The duo of Ashwin and Jadeja,have represented India in the playing XI in a number of games across all formats. Ashwin is more of a classical off spinner who likes to flight the ball and gets it to drift, dip and even turn sharply generating uneven bounce depending on the playing surface. The 31-year old also uses subtle variations including the carrom ball, the legspinner and the topspinner from time to time,which makes him unplayable when he is at his best.

Jadeja on the other hand, bowls with a much flatter trajectory and varies his pace and uses the crease to good effect to outsmart the batsman. Their ability to operate in tandem and their understanding of each other’s game is what makes them so lethal in test cricket. Although they may not have been at their best lately in white ball cricket, their experience and achievements in international cricket are too good to be underestimated.

4.Assistance in Captaincy:

Ashwin and Jadeja both can contribute as senior partners Tactically

Both Ashwin and Jadeja are experienced campaigners who have been part of the game long enough to be able to read it perfectly. Presence of senior players like Ashwin and Jadeja makes it a lot easier for skipper Virat Kohli to manage the players and bring out the best in them.

The bowlers would find it more suitable to interact with the senior members in the bowling lineup than their counterparts in the batting department. A cricketing brain like Ashwin can certainly advise skipper Virat Kohli in crunch situations regarding a bowling change he needs to make or a change needed in the field to best suit a particular bowler.

3. Accuracy in line and length:

Ashwin and Jadeja have been very accurate in their line and length

Pitches in England are not quite the same as they used to be a few years back. Traditional English pitches used to be seam friendly with a fine layer of grass which used to be a handful for seam bowlers.

However, the pitches on which cricket has been played in England for the last couple of years have rendered themselves to be more suitable for the batsmen than for the bowlers. The pitches have been much drier and more conducive to spin which brings the inclusion of the duo of Ashwin and Jadeja into contention.

Wrist spinners despite being more likely to pick up wickets,run the risk of going for runs when things are not going in their favour. The aspect of being finger spinners brings in added accuracy in line and length which would render them difficult to score from. Matches played on these tracks have been mostly high scoring and including even either of the two in the playing XI might serve as an effective weapon in drying up the runs scored in the middle overs

2.Fielding:

Ravindra Jadeja is an excellent Fielder

Fielding, along with batting and bowling is an equally important aspect of the game. A good batsman or a good bowler might have a bad day at work but a good fielder will always contribute to the team in winning ways, be it by saving useful runs on the field or by taking important catches at critical junctures of the game.

A fielder taking a good catch or effecting a brilliant run out deserves equal credit as the bowler taking the wicket. Ravindra Jadeja is undoubtedly one of the best fielders India has ever had in the recent past and has the ability to turn matches around with his fielding itself.

Ashwin, despite not being the fastest on the field, is an excellent slip fielder and someone who really makes his presence in the field felt. Their replacements Kuldeep and Chahal haven’t been upto the mark in the fielding department which has proved costly for India on a number of occasions.

1.Batting profiency:

Ashwin and Jadeja have been a handy batsman

Ashwin and Jadeja have proven themselves to be more than capable of piling up useful runs lower down the order. The duo have been doing the same on a consistent basis in the longest format of the game. This would certainly strengthen India’s hopes of batting longer down the tail and ease the pressure on India’s struggling middle order which has not particularly looked in the best of touches.

Former skipper MS Dhoni, who has been the backbone of the team for over a decade has not been at his best and the team management have been trying out a number of players in different positions in the middle order with hardly any effect. The bulk of the India’s runs have been coming from the willow of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli,the Top 3.

Jadeja has 10 fifties under his name to go with his 155 wickets in ODIs. The left hander also has 10 fifties in test cricket. His strike rate of 85 in ODIs goes on to reveal that the 29 year old can certainly smash a few into the stands. Ashwin, on the other hand has 4 hundreds and 11 fifties in tests and despite his ODI stats not being as suggestive as his partner’s, the 31 year old has demonstrated his ability to hang around and stitch valuable partnerships lower down the order for his team in do or die situations.The inclusion of Ashwin and Jadeja may certainly serve as a triumph card for India as far as the batting depth of the team is concerned.

Now,it remains to be seen whether the Selectors and Virat Kohli give them another go in the ODI setup or not.