Clock’s ticking on Jadeja’s ODI career as Axar waits on sidelines

New Delhi (TIP)- India’s defeat in the second ODI against New Zealand was more than just a routine loss. It was a reality check. Under the floodlights, on a surface that offered assistance to bowlers, the Men in Blue faltered – first with the bat and then with the ball – allowing the visitors to roar back into the series. What unfolded was not merely an off day at the office but a match that exposed deeper concerns within the Indian camp.
At the centre of all that scrutiny stood Ravindra Jadeja. For years, the left-handed all-rounder has been one of India’s most reliable cricketers, a man capable of turning games with bat, ball and brilliance in the field.
But in recent months, that aura has begun to fade in the 50-over format. In the second ODI, Jadeja walked in with India in trouble at 118/4, a familiar situation that once would have suited him perfectly.
Instead, he laboured to 27 off 44 deliveries before falling to Michael Bracewell, leaving India without the late surge they desperately needed. His struggles were not confined to batting. With the ball, Jadeja looked equally ineffective, going wicketless and conceding 44 runs from his eight overs.
It was a continuation of a worrying trend. In the first ODI, he had leaked 56 runs in nine overs and managed only four runs with the bat. Performances that were once out of character for Jadeja are now becoming alarmingly frequent.
The numbers paint an even grimmer picture. In his last five ODIs, Jadeja has managed just one wicket, averaging a staggering 257 with the ball and conceding runs at an economy rate of 6.11.
With the bat, he has scored 87 runs from four innings at a modest strike rate of 90.62. These are hardly the returns expected from a premier all-rounder who has long been considered indispensable to India’s white-ball plans.
Such a dip in form would have gone relatively unnoticed in the past, but times have changed. Axar Patel, Jadeja’s natural competitor, is no longer just a like-for-like replacement – he is fast becoming India’s preferred option. Over the last two ICC events, the contrast between the two has been stark.
In the T20 World Cup 2024, Patel claimed nine wickets while Jadeja managed only one. With the bat, Axar played a defining knock of 47 off 31 in the final, an innings that helped rescue India from a precarious position and eventually end their 11-year ICC trophy drought.
The Champions Trophy 2025 told a similar story. Patel once again outscored Jadeja; the latter didn’t get many opportunities with the bat, while their bowling returns remained largely identical. Since then, the trajectory of both players has only diverged further. Jadeja has struggled to make an impact, whereas Patel has gone from strength to strength.