Advertisement

Do India really need Ravindra Jadeja for overseas Tests?

Despite scoring a fighting half-century in the third Test against England, Ravindra Jadeja is one of those players who have been extremely inconsistent for India of late.

Zee Media Bureau/ Suyash Srivastava
New Delhi: Despite scoring a fighting half-century in the second Test against England, Ravindra Jadeja is one of those players who have been extremely inconsistent for India of late. Jadeja, who has played 11 Tests for the Indian team, has looked ineffective on foreign pitches and it`s high time MS Dhoni takes a decision whether he actually needs the southpaw in the playing eleven while playing abroad. Jadeja`s accurate line and length have earned him plenty of wickets on home soil, but as far as overseas Tests are concerned, he has picked just 17 wickets from 6 Tests away from home. Even while batting, he has looked vulnerable against all sorts of bowlers and he doesn`t only lack technique, but also patience to survive in a five-day format. As far as a genuine all-rounder is concerned, Dhoni should shift his focus towards Stuart Binny, who has the potential to fill that vacant spot. On seaming pitches, Binny`s medium-pace could prove to be handy and even if he fails to deliver with the ball, he has the technique to stitch crucial partnerships under precarious circumstances. Binny was dropped from the Test squad after historic win at Lord`s, but the way Indian team was outshined in the third Test, Dhoni might be contemplating to bring Binny back into the playing eleven for the fourth Test. Another important change which Dhoni`s needs to make is replace Jadeja with Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been a mere spectator in the series so far, as England`s part-time off-spinner Moeen Ali has picked wickets at regular intervals.