#360view: Efforts of Jadhav & Patel biggest positives for India

Ajit Vijaykumar 23:47 29/10/2016
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • India have had several key performers.

    After a month and a half of competitive cricket, the Kiwis fell apart in the final challenge of their India tour as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team crushed the visitors by 190 runs in the final ODI to clinch the five-game series.

    While the scoreboard says India won 3-2, the reality is the hosts were pushed all the way and the series was decided only in the final innings of the last match.

    The tour was split in two halves; first the Test series where a full strength Indian team worked its magic and clinically tackled the Kiwi batting and bowling, and then the one-dayers where an Indian side missing some of its main players passed a tough test against a determined New Zealand side.

    The one-day series was a big challenge for the Indians as it presented them with an opportunity to explore their options for next year’s Champions Trophy in England.

    Since it is a hectic home season, they had to rotate their squad and with a few players unavailable due to fitness issues – like KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Ishant Sharma – those on the fringes were pushed to the fore. That India won the series with a largely inexperienced squad was commendable.

    Among the players, leg-spinner Amit Mishra proved his match-winning abilities once again and showed he had not lost his spirit despite being an irregular member of the team.

    Mishra has some deficiencies when it comes to agility in the field and that is a minus against his name but whenever he has been given a chance, he has bowled his heart out. He has picked up 64 wickets in 36 ODIs at an economy of 4.72 and should be in the mix for the Champions Trophy.

    Looking at the positives, the all-round efforts of Kedar Jadhav and Axar Patel were the biggest gains for the Indians. We know about the batting prowess of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Dhoni, which was on display against the Kiwis, and also the bowling abilities of Mishra and Jasprit Bumrah. But players like Jadhav and Patel were unproven.

    With the Indian team a bit thin on experience and Dhoni batting at number four, it gave the up-and-coming players an opportunity to grab the attention of the selectors and these two players stood out. While Jadhav was decent with the bat (90 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 103.44), his bowling was superb – six wickets.

    Patel kept things tight with the ball – four wickets from five games at an economy of 4.3 – and he was forceful with the willow, scoring 79 runs in three outings.

    Both Patel and Jadhav are athletic in the field, bowl tight lines and most importantly, can use the long handle while batting in the death overs. It’s their lower order hitting which is their biggest strength and Dhoni is desperate to find an all-rounder who can be relied upon to score quick runs at will.

    Jadhav and Patel are not there yet but have the right ingredients to be the ‘finishers’. Once the likes of Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Rahul return, the two might struggle to retain their spot but Dhoni will keep their names at the back of his mind, should the situation change.

    Even though it was a positive series result, there was one worrying trend. Whenever Kohli failed to score a fifty, India lost. While the Indians lost two matches by fairly close margins, they were defeats that will give the management some cause for concern.

    If the Indian batting can’t rise to the occasion at home when Virat has an off day, it can’t be expected to dominate in England next year.

    All in all, the Indians gained a lot from the series and even though the margins were closer than they would have liked, they will be glad some of the players they tried out delivered and can be earmarked for more opportunities in the future.

    Recommended