Ravindra Jadeja- One Would Hope The Finisher Isn’t Finished Before Finishing!

Ravindra Jadeja's worrisome strike rate has emerged as a concern for India [AP]

Much earlier this year, before the Asia Cup came about, before the West Indies tour brought about the sudden misfortune of India losing a T20I series in the Caribbean, and even before squads were picked for the big and highly anticipated ODI World Cup, the attention of nearly half of the cricketing world was on the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. 

On May 29, 2023, the final delivery of the fifteenth over of the world-famous Indian Premier League had the T20 aficionados and the white-ball cricket-obsessed hooked in anticipation for something massive. 

Mohit Sharma of Gujarat Titans was rushing in to bowl to the only man who, perhaps not just those from the Chennai SuperKings dugout, but the entirety of Tamil Nadu were betting big to hit the winning runs. 

The interesting thing was MS Dhoni, who had hitherto been the bedrock of finishing games for Chennai, was out, sitting in the dugout while an experienced left-hander was on strike. 

A faster but slightly fuller one bowled down the legs of the slenderly built lad was guided down the fine leg boundary for a four.

It didn't help the Gujarat side that Sharma had bowled a full toss. Of course, Chennai couldn't have complained one bit; the magic was unprecedented, and there were absolute scenes about the Narendra Modi stadium. 

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But the man behind the cool and calm winning strike was Ravindra Jadeja. He finished the game for a side even as its most coveted and admired finisher had long walked back to the dugout. 

But that was then. 

A quarter of a year later, with the format changing to the ODIs for Indian national duties, what do we find?

Ravindra Jadeja is in a serious spot of bother. There's little anyone can do about a man who, despite being picked for what's likely India's greatest chance to win the One Day World Cup, is not in any winning form. 

Jadeja had a mediocre Asia Cup campaign with the bat [AP]

Of course, to doubt Jadeja's talent with the bat would be to suggest something as slimy and untoward as faith doesn't do any good to a man's level of optimism. The famous left-hander is associated with quickly summing up batters despite not getting a lot of turn, and those exceptional fielding skills are a synonym for dependability across formats.  

But it's the lack of runs and not a lot of them being scored too quickly either that have come to pose questions on a man who's maybe not in the best touch. 

And that's precisely Jadeja's plight; the very inability to boost India's scoring rate and his own rate of run-making from lower down the order. 

Not a loud and unfriendly call against one of the friendliest and most fascinating cricketers. 

Here's what Jadeja has managed with the bat in death overs (40-50) since 2022: 81 runs in 100 balls at a strike rate (SR) of 81. 

Now, this shouldn't be the scoring rate of someone batting at number 7 who's actually drafted in as a finisher. In such time, he has hit only six boundaries, playing 49 per cent dot balls.

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It's anything but no big deal sort of situation; India are within touching distance of opening their World Cup campaign. 

For someone who's been backed with a lot of faith of the selectors and the administration, maybe Jadeja has to be mindful of the fact that he's got a chance when someone like Axar Patel could so naturally have been thought of in that position. 

As a matter of fact, Jadeja's slump with the bat at his usual batting position is no sudden or overnight occurrence, even as it seems all too strange. 

From fifteen games played this year in the format that's the talk of the cricketing galaxy given the World Cup, Jadeja's managed 189 runs at an average of 27. Furthermore, his strike rate leaves a lot to be desired, mirroring his inability to score rapidly the last year.  

In 2023, Ravindra Jadeja has a batting strike rate of 64- would you believe it? 

At a time when Australia have a Cameron Green or Stoinis who could be fit into that big hitting role during the death overs and where England can go with Stokes or Woakes and even Livingstone (Moeen Ali not too unfamiliar with what it means to bat down low), is Jadeja's current form a big worry? 

And if that's so, is it even more worrying that there's now no time left whatsoever to get back among the runs with the intent to go big in the death overs? 

Whatever it is, India have got a situation on their hands, and Jadeja has a real problem to solve and, fortunately, with tons of big game experience. 

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