Ravindra Jadeja's Poor Year Gets Worse; Overlooked For South Africa Series

The year 2015 has been Annus Horribilis for Ravindra Jadeja so far. His returns with both bat and ball have been poor ever since the start of the year. With just 10 wickets in 11 ODI games at an economy rate of 5.57 and 113 runs at an average of just over 14, the aura of the 'Rockstar' is fading. (Harbhajan Singh Returns for T20Is versus South Africa, Ravindra Jadeja Dropped)

Jadeja's poor form, combined with lack of penetration, has meant that he is no longer the utility all-rounder who had served India well for a couple of years. His poor form has resulted in his axing from the ODI squad for the series against South Africa. (Harbhajan Singh Gets Another International Lifeline)

 

Once again, Jadeja is in the crossroads of his career. It is a repeat of the torrid time he underwent during the 2009-10 season when his poor  all-round form was hurting India. At that time, he had the solid backing of India's ODI and T20I skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, with Dhoni's aura also waning in a new and dynamic Team India set-up, it seems that Jadeja might have to spend considerable time out of the team. (Gurkeerat and Aravind - Two New Kids on the Block)

 

How did it all go wrong for Jadeja in the first place? He was on top of the world in the 2013 season, when he picked up 24 wickets in four Tests against Australia to assist India in achieving a 4-0 whitewash at home. Things only got better for him in the 2013 Champions Trophy, when his 12 wickets in England at an average of just over 12 gave India the title. He was the recipient of the golden ball award. His exploits continued in the next season, when his unbeaten 65 helped India tie the third ODI against New Zealand in Auckland in February, 2014.

 

With his batting and bowling providing steady returns, it seemed nothing could go wrong for Jadeja. However, during the series against Australia, he injured his left shoulder and his place in the ICC 2015 World Cup was in doubt. With each passing week, the uncertainty around Jadeja's involvement grew but he made a recovery and played in eight matches of the World Cup.

 

His performances suggested that Jadeja was no longer the bowler of old. He failed to be accurate and couldn't contain the batsmen in the middle overs, something that he was adept at when in form. In the 2015 Indian Premier League (IPL), he bowled only six times in the whole tournament and his economy rate took a beating in most of the matches. The zip and guile in Jadeja's bowling was missing. Just 11 wickets in 17 games, at an economy rate of close to eight, suggested that something was not right.

 

Along with his bowling, his batting also dipped and he failed to hold the Indian lower-middle order together. In two matches against Bangladesh in June, he was set to take India out of trouble but just when people's expectations rose, he would throw his wicket away in ungainly fashion. Scores of 19 and 32 in the two matches was a typical Jadeja in his early days, promising a lot more but failing to deliver.

 

With the Indian team evolving, Jadeja will have to improve by leaps and bounds with both his batting and bowling, if he has to return to the side. With Axar Patel also underperforming, the door remains slightly open for Jadeja but his exclusion for the series against South Africa is a clear sign that he cannot rest on past laurels.