The all-round mystery in Indian cricket

Ravindra Jadeja

Today most of social media that follows cricket has placed Ravindra Jadeja on a pedestal larger than N. Srinivasan's ego. True, a large part of it is due to a love for sarcasm and cheap jokes, but fact is that the nation has begun to admire many qualities this flamboyant Gujarati has put on display (not the least of which is his moustache; I mean seriously, he pulls that bad boy off with class).

But wait a second. We have a challenger. And this one's got legacy on his side. Welcome Stuart Terence Roger Binny, the man, who with six well bowled balls against Bangladesh is upsetting the natural order of the universe (the natural order being that Sir Jadeja will be selected forever and ever until, like Roger Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon franchise, decides that he's "Too old for this $#!+").

So there we have it folks. Two men, one all-rounder's spot in the line-up for one of the most important events on the calendar of BCCI, next to the tour of SA, the tour of Australia and Mr. Srinivasan's birthday. Now what Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher need to decide is who gets to be 'the guy' and who runs on field to give water to 'the guy'.

Let's start with Jadeja. Sorry, Sir Jadeja. His international career didn't have a dream start. He couldn't be relied on to get a handy wicket with the ball or score 20 of 40 with the bat. One of the biggest black marks on his career will be the match against Australia where Sachin had all, but won us the match having scored a brilliant 175, yet Jaddu bhai managed to lose that. Hey, I guess that takes some skill too. Anyway, he's come a long way from there (owing in part, I believe, to him getting rid of his semi-afro in favour of something a little more behooving of knighthood. He magically reinvented himself and even more magically jumped to the top of the ODI bowler rankings last year, though a lack of international cricket in recent times has seen him drop to 7th place (he is, however, fourth in the all-rounders list). It seems that he is the obvious choice for selection.

Let's not cast Stuart aside just yet. Binny Jr. may not become an all time great, but he's already in the history books. His six wickets for four runs made sure that even though people may not remember him very well, he shall never be forgotten. My friend, in a rather cynical mood condemned him to be nothing more than Binny Sr.'s son, though the BCCI would argue that he was one of the great outcomes of the Bangladesh tour which is why they had the tour in the first place (they've got to  put a positive spin on that moronic tour somehow). His meagre experience in the international arena (which has been without a single good outing with the bat) makes his chances look bleak.

I may not be the biggest fan of either of the two, but I'd have choose Jadeja for a spot in the team. It's a no-brainer really. He has the experience on his side and has somewhat proven his worth. Also, given the BCCI's 'out with the old and in with the new' policy (I'm not sure whether this applies to team selection or gastric issues), Jadeja wins. He's 25, while Binny's 30. And of course, there's are certain unmentionable advantages that Jadeja has in his favour (*cough cough* CSK conspiracy *cough cough*). Just nod a good time to play for the Royals I guess.

So there we have it. Jadeja in. I don't think it's meant to be for Binny. He's come into the limelight a few years too late (maybe he should have stayed away from the pesky ICL after all). Of course, there are those who would say that we don't need either of them in the team. After all, we've got run-out ace Ashwin in the team. But I'd have to disagree. We need two spinners in the team, it's just the Indian way. And if he miraculously manages to contribute with the bat, all the better (though it's doubtful, given he's an Indian batsman in England).

In less than two weeks, India shall face an England team under considerable pressure, given their recent loss to Sri Lanka. Runs scored and wickets taken by Indians in England are worth their weight in gold when it comes to cementing spots in the team, and anyone who does well here is almost guaranteed a spot in the squad for Australia at the end of the year. Let the games begin.