IND vs SL: 'Ravindra Jadeja's Batting Form Could Be An Issue For Team India'- Dinesh Karthik

Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has opined that Ravindra Jadeja’s poor displays with the bat in ODIs could turn out to be a big worry for Team India ahead of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023.

The lower-order’s struggle with the bat has been an area of concern for Team India for quite some time now. The onus will be on the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur to deliver the goods with the bat whenever the situation demands them to in the World Cup.

The problem was evident once again on Friday (September 15) when India played against Bangladesh in their last Super 4 game of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Having already qualified for the final, India lost the game by 6 runs while chasing 266. The lower-order, with the exception of Axar Patel, once again failed to do well with the bat.

Ravindra Jadeja walked out to bat at number 7 when India were reeling at 139 for 5 in the 33rd over. With a well-set Shubman Gill at the other end, Ravindra Jadeja had the opportunity to bail India out of trouble. However, the all-rounder failed to do well with the bat and departed for just 7 runs. He lost his stumps while trying to play a big shot against Mustafizur Rahman.

Dinesh Karthik criticises Ravindra Jadeja’s batting:

With the experienced Ravindra Jadeja throwing his wicket away at a crucial time, Dinesh Karthik has highlighted his struggles with the bat in ODIs. In the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, the left-handed batter has managed to score just 25 runs in 3 innings so far. He has not scored a fifty in ODIs since 2020.

“And Ravindra Jadeja, for his batting. For some time now, he has been phenomenal in Test cricket, very very effective, and trustworthy. But in the white-ball formats, he hasn’t been at his best with batting.

“He is a key player. Whenever he has done well for India, take the 2013 Champions Trophy, take any tournament India has done well, he has been a very critical performer and he needs to step up with the bat. In case, he doesn’t have a great game with the ball, India can still manage. But if he is not scoring runs with the bat, it could be an issue for Team India,” Dinesh Karthik told Cricbuzz.

In the ongoing year, Ravindra Jadeja has managed to score only 138 runs in 11 games at a poor strike-rate of 56. In 9 innings, he has managed to cross the 20-run mark just once.