“Jadeja and Axar might be better batters” - Former India cricketer’s blunt take on all-rounders for IND vs ENG 2025 ODIs

Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar feels that Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have the upper hand over Washington Sundar in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, which starts in Nagpur on Thursday (February 6). The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that Jadeja and Patel fare better with both bat and ball, particularly against a predominantly right-handed batting attack. He, however, added that Sundar is an effective option against left-handers.

Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo:

"7:53 – Washington Sundar might bowl slightly less than Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. He can bowl 10 overs when the conditions are in his favor if there are a lot of left-handers in the opposition. In terms of batting, Jadeja and Axar might be better batters than Washington."

Spin all-rounders in ODIs

Ravindra Jadeja: 2756 runs @32.42 and 220 wickets in 197 ODIs.

Axar Patel: 568 runs @19.58 and 64 wickets in 60 ODIs

Washington Sundar: 315 runs @24.23 and 23 wickets in 20 ODIs

Manjrekar's remarks come weeks after former India legend Ravichandran Ashwin said that head coach Gautam Gambhir rates Washington Sundar high. He said on his YouTube channel:

"Obviously, as far as I know, Gautam Gambhir really likes him. He rates him and definitely, Gautam has backed him. If Washington comes in 8, your balance changes immediately.

"“In today’s age, left and right-hand combination is very important because there are no off-spinners in this team. Your left-arm spinners are there. It is crucial to rotate the strike. I feel that Washington Sundar will play in at No. 8 for sure. There are two things."

Sanjay Manjrekar picks India's No. 4 for ODIs against England

Sanjay Manjrekar wants Shreyas Iyer to retain his No. 4 spot for India in the ODI series against England. The 59-year-old pointed out how Iyer has excelled against spinners, which he believes is key to success for a middle-order batter. He said in the above video:

"7:07 - Shreyas Iyer should stay at No. 4 because of the way he paced up in the 50-over World Cup after a slow start. He should stick to the spot, plus he is a good player against spin. When you play at No.4 in 50 overs, you’ve to play [face] a lot against spin."

For the unversed, Iyer amassed 530 runs in 11 matches at an average of 66.25, including two tons and three half-centuries for runners-up India at the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The right-handed batter, however, returned with below-par scores of 23, 7, and 8 in the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year. He has 2,421 runs in 62 ODIs, averaging 47.7, including five centuries and 18 fifties.

The 30-year-old recently slammed a couple of centuries against Puducherry and Karnataka in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy.