5 Reasons why Ashwin and Jadeja may be recalled into the ODI squad ahead of the 2019 World Cup
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, despite being an integral part of the Indian cricket team over the years, were suffering from an alarming dip in form ever since the conclusion of the 2015 World Cup. Their lack of form was severely affecting the overall performance of the team, which was particularly evident in the 2017 Champions Trophy, which ended with an embarrassing defeat for India at the hands of arch rivals Pakistan. Their lack of penetration in the limited over format led the team management to explore new alternatives ahead of the 2019 World Cup, with wrist spin being at the top of their priority list.
The introduction of wrist spin in the form of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal sparked wonders for India in limited overs cricket as the duo performed increasingly well with each given opportunity. Kuldeep has picked up 48 wickets from 23 matches at an average of 19.35 and a strike rate of 24.08, while Chahal has picked up 45 wickets from 26 matches at an average of 23.87 and a strike rate of 30.29. Ashwin on the other hand has had only 17 scalps from 15 matches averaging 40.58 striking every 45.4 balls and Jadeja has had 12 scalps from 17 matches at an average of 67.83 and a strike rate of 77.5 ever since the conclusion of the 2015 World Cup.
The wrist-spin twins wreaked havoc in South Africa earlier this year, picking up 33 wickets from 6 matches, leaving the South African batsmen bamboozled with their ability to extract spin irrespective of the surface and their streaky variations. The out and out success the two wrist spinners have enjoyed ever since their inclusion has made it even more difficult for their senior counterparts to make a comeback into the limited overs format.
The recently concluded series against England however showed that there are still many aspects the team management needs to look forward going into the 2019 World Cup and there might still be room for the veteran spinners to fit into the ODI squad.Here are the 5 Reasons why Ashwin and Jadeja may be recalled into the ODI squad ahead of the 2019 World Cup: