India vs Australia 2017: Five reasons why Krunal Pandya should have been picked over Ravindra Jadeja

Having been rested/dropped (whichever way you look at it) earlier, Ravindra Jadeja's limited-overs career has received a major fillip. The 28-year-old all-rounder was named as Axar Patel's replacement after the latter suffered an ankle sprain while playing football during a practice session ahead of the opening ODI against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

With Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the squad too, it remains to be seen if the team management decides to bring in Jadeja ahead of the two wrist-spinners for the first three games. In either scenario, the selectors may have missed a trick by taking the conventional route.

Here are five reasons why Krunal Pandya should have been selected instead of Ravindra Jadeja.

#5 Better option with the bat

With finger-spinners rapidly becoming obsolete in the modern era of flat tracks and shorter boundaries, it is a major advantage to possess another weapon in the armoury. The likes of Axar, Jadeja and Krunal can all chip in with vital contributions down the order.

Even though the other two competitors are no slouches with the willow, Krunal may go on to become a better option with the bat as he is versatile in nature. The left-hander's biggest strength lies in assessing situations smartly and shaping his plans depending on them. Apart from being a powerful hitting option, Krunal can also form useful partnerships by rotating the strike with considerable ease.