Former India's star all-rounder Irfan Pathan has feels Ravindra Jadeja's performance was the decision factor in India's crushing seven-wicket defeat in the second ODI against New Zealand. The Indian bowling attack struggled to make inroads, managing to claim only three wickets throughout the innings. This inability to take regular wickets allowed the New Zealand batters to stay comfortable, preventing India from ever exerting significant pressure on the opposition.
Irfan Pathan holds Ravindra Jadeja responsible for India's loss in 2nd ODI
In the aftermath of the loss, Pathan directed sharp criticism toward all-rounder Ravindra. Pathan argued that Jadeja’s batting performance was a primary factor in the team's failure, specifically highlighting his relatively low strike rate. According to Pathan, this lack of urgency during the middle and late overs slowed India's momentum and contributed directly to their inability to post or chase a competitive total.
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Beyond the specific match performance, Pathan raised broader questions regarding Jadeja’s future in the white-ball setup. He expressed concern over whether Jadeja currently merits a guaranteed spot in India’s ODI playing XI, suggesting that the team may need to re-evaluate his role if his strike rate and overall impact continue to decline.
"Where did India lose the match? KL Rahul played with a strike rate of 90 but Ravindra Jadeja only maintained a strike rate of 60 during his innings of 27," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Jadeja entered the fray during the 24th over, a critical juncture for India following the rapid dismissals of Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli. Tasked with steadying the innings, Jadeja joined KL Rahul in the middle to forge a partnership that lasted nearly 15 overs.
Despite the significant time spent at the crease, Jadeja struggled to accelerate the scoring. He managed only 27 runs from 44 deliveries and found the boundary just once, resulting in a strike rate of 61.36. This cautious approach hindered India’s momentum on a pitch where other batters were finding it easier to score.
Jadeja hasn't scored a fifty in ODIs since 2020: Pathan
Pathan highlighted several worrying statistics to suggest that Jadeja’s place in the ODI squad is no longer secure. While the 37-year-old remains a veteran of the game with 209 ODIs, 2,893 runs, and 232 wickets to his name, Pathan noted that he has not scored a half-century in this format since 2020 and has struggled to take wickets in recent outings.
"Jadeja hasn't scored a fifty in ODIs since 2020. He is under plenty of pressure. With the ball, Jadeja has managed only one wicket in the last five games. His average is 200. These are poor numbers for any senior player. Axar Patel is no doubt ahead of him. Jadeja must perform in the next game and it was a decisive factor in India's defeat," Pathan concluded.
It will be interesting to see whether Indian team management continues with Jadeja in the third ODI or ends up benching him.