Is Kedar Jadhav a long-term prospect for India?

Kedar Jadhav is 33 years old. However, he doesn’t let his age become a hurdle while attempting the dreaded yo-yo test. Jadhav has been in and out of the Indian limited overs squad set up because of his injuries and not because of his performance. That is the reason why he straightaway walked into the Indian playing 11 in the Asia cup after recovering from an injury.

Primarily in the squad for his batting, Jadhav has earned a reputation of a partnership breaker while bowling. And like most innovative decisions in the recent past, the decision to throw the ball to the unconventional off spinner was also made by the legendary M.S. Dhoni in 2016. Jadhav’s sliding deliveries troubled New Zealand’s batsmen during that game and since then, he has been used by Virat Kohli, and recently by Rohit Sharma, as a sixth bowler.

Dhoni’s finishing abilities in the international scheme of things have taken a back seat. Jadhav has been pitched as a potential finisher who along with the lower middle order can steer the innings in India’s favor. He proved that he doesn’t buckle under pressure by scoring a match-winning 76-ball 120 alongside Kohli against England in 2017. Apart from these rare moments of joy, Kedar Jadhav hasn’t stamped his authority on most occasions.

Dinesh Karthik and Ambatti Rayadu are still trying to bat their way in the India middle order. A slump in Suresh Raina’s form, absence of Yuvraj Singh, and Manish Pandey’s inconsistency have kept Jadhav in the Indian side. This is where Jadhav’s ability to pitch in a few economical overs gives him the edge and lends a balance to the Indian bowling attack.

Jadhav has bowled in 23 innings out of the 42 matches he has played for India. Rather than spinning the ball, his focus has been on delivering the ball from different angles. Usually he bowls from a lower trajectory and maintains a stump-to-stump line. He is rewarded for it in the form of a low economy rate of 4.9. With an average of 29.63 and 19 wickets, Jadhav is clearly not a dedicated wicket-taking bowler. But he is a difficult bowler to score off, especially on subcontinental pitches and in slightly bigger grounds.

Coming in at number 6, Jadhav is expected to rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard ticking. His three fifties and two hundreds in 28 innings show that he is a handy batsman. If Jadhav wants to make the number 6 position his own, he has to spike up his average and the strike rate which are currently at a modest 41.3 and 108.83, respectively.

As mentioned earlier, Kedar Jadhav is 33 and not getting younger. This raises the question, is he a long-term prospect for India? Especially, considering that the 2019 World Cup is going to be played in England. Does India need a conservative spinner there when it has attacking options in Kuldeep and Chahal?

Does Jadhav walk in the side solely as a number 6 batsmen during the World Cup? What if India decide to go in with a proper batsman at the top and Dhoni plays at 6? Can Ravindra Jadeja stage a comeback? India’s tour of Australia in November will give us the answers to some of these questions.