India vs Australia 2017: Five reasons why Krunal Pandya should have been picked over Ravindra Jadeja

Having been rested/dropped (whichever way you look at it) earlier, Ravindra Jadeja's limited-overs career has received a major fillip. The 28-year-old all-rounder was named as Axar Patel's replacement after the latter suffered an ankle sprain while playing football during a practice session ahead of the opening ODI against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

With Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the squad too, it remains to be seen if the team management decides to bring in Jadeja ahead of the two wrist-spinners for the first three games. In either scenario, the selectors may have missed a trick by taking the conventional route.

Here are five reasons why Krunal Pandya should have been selected instead of Ravindra Jadeja.

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#5 Better option with the bat

Krunal Pandya can be used as a dangerous hitter lower down the order

With finger-spinners rapidly becoming obsolete in the modern era of flat tracks and shorter boundaries, it is a major advantage to possess another weapon in the armoury. The likes of Axar, Jadeja and Krunal can all chip in with vital contributions down the order.

Even though the other two competitors are no slouches with the willow, Krunal may go on to become a better option with the bat as he is versatile in nature. The left-hander's biggest strength lies in assessing situations smartly and shaping his plans depending on them. Apart from being a powerful hitting option, Krunal can also form useful partnerships by rotating the strike with considerable ease.

#4 Strong showing in IPL

Krunal Pandya has attracted attention through the IPL like his younger brother

Just like his younger brother Hardik, Krunal also came into the reckoning by grabbing eyeballs through his exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL). During the 2016 season, he smashed 237 runs at an average of 39.50 and strike-rate of 191.12 including a blistering 86 against Delhi Daredevils. The 2017 edition saw him score 243 runs at an average of 34.71 and strike-rate of 135.75.

Krunal made a significant impression in the bowling department too. In the 2016 season, he picked up six wickets at an economy rate of 7.57. The 2017 edition fetched him 10 scalps at an economy rate of 6.82 and he played a key role in Mumbai Indians lifting the trophy.

#3 Can take on the best in the game

Krunal Pandya has managed to dismiss AB de Villiers on four occasions

One of the key aspects of Krunal's game emanates from an innate ability to lift his performance against the best in the business. The fact that he has the wood over a batting icon like AB de Villiers stands as a testament to his competitive attitude. The left-arm spinner has managed to dismiss the South African legend on no less than four occasions from as many matches in the IPL.

Upon sending de Villiers packing at the Wankhede Stadium during a league match in the 2017 season, Krunal came up with a cheeky and rather symbolic celebration by showing four fingers. Such an approach could make him a feisty cricketer in the international arena. With Australia containing the likes of David Warner, Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell, Krunal's combative temperament could have been quite useful.

#2 Subtle variations with the ball

Krunal Pandya can be used as an attacking option in the middle-overs

Unlike Jadeja who prefers to spear the ball towards the stumps at a much higher pace than necessary in ODIs, Krunal uses subtle variations in pace and lengths to deceive the batsman. He also has the capacity to operate at the same level from around the wicket as well as over the wicket.

Jadeja's accomplishments at the Test level have been a direct product of his relentless consistency. Unlike in the game's premier format wherein he is currently ranked number two in the world, his style of bowling does not make him a potent weapon in the 50-over format. In such regard, Krunal can be tried in the middle-overs as a better like-for-like replacement for Axar in ODIs.

#1 Jadeja's lacklustre ODI form

Ravindra Jadeja's recent ODI performances have been underwhelming

Even as he is taking the world by storm in Tests, Jadeja's recent performances in ODIs have been underwhelming. During the Champions Trophy, he struggled to stem the flow of runs in the crucial middle-overs. Admittedly, the pitches were flat and did not take turn. But his lack of control resulted in the opposition batsmen taking the attack to him.

Jadeja picked up just four wickets from five matches in the Champions Trophy. More pertinently, his economy rate of 5.92 was the worst among spinners who bowled at least 10 overs. In the batting department, his services were mostly not required as India's top-order was in stunning form. However, in the final against arch-rivals Pakistan at The Oval, the left-hander was unable to make an impression. He also played a couple of ODIs in the West Indies tour and failed to feature in the wickets column.

Picking Krunal ahead of him would have served two purposes - looking at a different option for the same role as well as providing extended rest for Jadeja ahead of the upcoming 3-Test series against Sri Lanka on home soil.