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Brad Haddin Says Jadeja In Decline, Wrong Choice As Lone Spinner Overseas
Follow UsFormer England player Mark Butcher also raised questions on Jadeja’s inability to target the rough in second innings of first Test
Ravindra Jadeja had a lacklustre outing in the first Test for India despite having some favourable conditions for him in the second innings, where there was a rough patch available for him on the pitch to target and turn the ball from there.
However, Jadeja not only missed the rough more often than not, but he also gave 104 runs in 24 overs at an economy of 4.33 and picked just a single wicket. In the first innings, he had bowled 23 overs for 68 runs but failed to pick up any wickets.
As a result, he has received criticism from all quarters, with the latest one being Brad Haddin on the Willow Talk podcast. The former Australian keeper felt that the Indian left-arm spinner is in decline and was a wrong selection as the sole spinner in overseas conditions.
“Are we seeing the decline of Ravindra Jadeja? I mean yes, he is effective in Indian conditions and how hard it is to play left-arm spin in India, but I don’t think he is the best option to have in the team spin wise,” Haddin said on his podcast.
“I don’t think Jadeja can be effective. Yes, he is a good all-rounder and he could play as a second spinner – hold at the other end. But I think they need to be more attacking, be willing to lose a Test match with some inexperienced bowlers but change their mindset at the way they go about it.”
Former England bowler Mark Butcher also dug into Jadeja’s performance and questioned his inability to hit the rough despite having so much experience in his career.
“I could not believe how poorly Jadeja bowled, really,” Mark Butcher said on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast.
“I’d likened it to owning a hammer but punching nails in with your fist instead – not landing the ball in the rough at all until, basically, it was too late. That was extraordinary, really. You talk about experience, and Jadeja has all the experience in the world. Somehow, it didn’t seem to click to him or Rishabh Pant, the keeper, that it might be a good idea not to keep missing the rough all day to the left-handers.”
The second Test will begin at Edgbaston on July 2.