• Home
  • Cricket Analysis
  • Why Axar Patel Should Play Over Ravindra Jadeja In India Vs Bangladesh 1St Test Match

Why Axar Patel Should Play Over Ravindra Jadeja In India vs Bangladesh 1st Test Match?

Axar Patel and Jadeja together in Test cricket (X.com)Axar Patel and Jadeja together in Test cricket (X.com)

India is all set to kickstart a long Test season with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh. The first Test is scheduled to start on September 19th at the M. A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and the debates around the Indian team's combination for the opening Test have started. The Men in Blue are likely to play three spinners in the XI, and with all four quality options in the ranks, team management would have to make a tough decision to keep one of the spinners out.

Ravichandran Ashwin is a sure starter, and so has been Ravindra Jadeja over the years. However, with the rise of bowlers like Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in recent times, India might well separate the famed Ashwin-Jadeja combo. There is a strong case of playing Axar Patel in place of Ravindra Jadeja alongside Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav. So, let's now try to analyze why Rohit should make that bold move in the Chennai Test.

Axar Patel - A Perfect Like-For-Like Replacement Of Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja is a world-class all-rounder and has been a true match-winner for India. In home conditions, he becomes an even more dangerous cricketer with pitches offering turn and dropping him is almost unimaginable. However, Axar Patel is one player who brings the same all-round skills to the table, and has been pretty successful as well.

Axar Patel's stats in India are also comparable to Ravindra Jadeja's if we take the matches played out of the equation. Axar has played 14 Tests so far, 12 of which are in India, while Jadeja has played 44 Test matches at home out of his 72. The bowling average, though, is quite similar and even slightly better for Axar, as he has bagged his 47 wickets at home at a stunning average of 18.65.

Jadeja, on the other hand, has taken 213 wickets in India with an average of 20.86, while both have the same batting average in home conditions. So, Axar Patel has clearly started his career on a bright note, and though the sample size is small, he is surely a perfect replacement for Ravindra Jadeja.

Axar Patel's Emergence As A Batter And Recent Confidence 

Axar Patel has always been looked at as an all-rounder, but it is just in the last few years that he has really shown consistency with the bat. He has scored runs across formats in recent times, and that has increased his stature in Indian cricket. He recently scored a crucial 47 in a pressure-cooker of a situation in the T20 World Cup final and has three fifties and two knocks of 40s in his last six Test matches.

Ravindra Jadeja, too, has done well with the bat in Test cricket but has struggled in white-ball cricket. India last played a Test match in March 2024, and after that, Jadeja has not been able to notch up impactful performances with the bat. He also lost his place to Axar Patel in ODI cricket recently and with a score of 86 under pressure in the Duleep Trophy game, Axar surely is coming into this series with more confidence than Ravindra Jadeja.

Axar Patel At Peak Of His Powers

There comes a time in the career of every cricketer when he is at the peak of his powers, and the recent success of Axar Patel across formats clearly indicates that he is in that phase now. The all-rounder has shown great temperament under pressure and has come out with flying colours in varied situations.

He is taking responsibility both with the bat and ball and has done difficult job both at the international level and in IPL. So, with good form and new-found ability to deliver under pressure, Indian management should look at optimising his purple patch and play him as regularly as possible.

Also, Ravindra Jadeja is now 35 years old and with a good option of Axar Patel pushing hard for a place, the Bangladesh series is an ideal opportunity to give him more game-time ahead of series against stronger teams like New Zealand and Australia. 

Conclusion

Indian team management has already taken bold steps in recent times in white-ball cricket as Axar Patel has taken taken Ravindra Jadeja's position in the ODI format. With all the above factors in consideration, the time looks apt to take some bold decisions in the longest format as well.