7 Indians for whom the New Zealand series is crucial to find a place in the World Cup squad

#3 Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja - No more an automatic selection

Before the ODI series against Australia, Ravindra Jadeja was a near certainty for the World Cup. The absence of Hardik Pandya gave more opportunity for Jadeja to establish his place in the team as the second all-rounder after Pandya. But 3 factors went against Jadeja in the Australian series.

The first and foremost was his own performance. Jadeja took a mere 2 wickets in his 29 overs after conceding 150 runs. But he made his presence felt on the field with the run-out of Usman Khawaja in the second ODI. In batting, he didn’t get enough opportunities to prove himself.

Jadeja’s rival Yuzvendra Chahal took 6 wickets in the decider at Melbourne and emphasized the need to have two wrist-spin options in the squad, if not in the playing XI.

The emergence of Vijay Shankar as an all-around option, though of a different kind, has made Jadeja’s position in the squad a little bit tentative. At some point in time, the selectors might start looking at Vijay Shankar as a better option on English conditions.

Fortunately for Jadeja, his destiny is still left in his own hands with the continued absence of Hardik Pandya. Jadeja will once again get his opportunities in New Zealand. It would be imperative for Jadeja to grab such opportunities to cement his place in the squad ahead of the World Cup.