Jadhav’s spin adds to India’s options
NAGPUR: Bowling figures of 1/48 in 10 overs normally won’t even get a second look.But it was the latest impressive show by India’s parttime spinner Kedar Jadhav, who helped pull back Australia in the final ODI here on Sunday.
Besides, Jadhav is a part-time wicketkeeper too, who is now asked to roll up his sleeves and send down a few overs. Jadhav has elevated his role in the side and the fifth ODI bowling underlined his value to the side. Having been brought in as a specialist batsman, Jadhav, in his 34 ODIs so far, has had to bowl at least a few overs in half of those games. What’s interesting is in 11 of those 17 matches, he’s ended up with at least a wicket to his name. Jadhav’s deliveries are not those vicious turns; neither does his style resemble that of a mystery bowler. His is a simple action and his deliveries mostly have a plain trajectory as well. A similar one trapped Australia skipper Steve Smith. It was a typical stump-to-stump delivery but Smith tried to sweep him despite the risk of Jadhav’s low-arm action. It hit him straight in front of middle-stump and Smith was gone. That was Jadhav’s fourth over and he had never bowled more than eight in a game. Yet, India skipper Virat Kohli stuck with him and made him bowl his full quota with left-arm spinner Axar Patel shouldering the responsibility from the other end. Neither had a change of ends for the 16 overs they bowled on the trot. Before the start of the match, Jadhav had 133 runs to his name in the tournament, fifth among Indians with an average of 33.25. At the end of the Australian innings he was second in terms of economy rate bowling his offspin. With the World Cup less than two years away, there’s isn’t a lot of time left for Jadhav to cement his position in the squad.