"Why do you want these 2 players standing in the queue?" - Ajay Jadeja wants Rahul Tripathi and Rajat Patidar to play final ODI
Ajay Jadeja wants India to give opportunities to Rahul Tripathi and Rajat Patidar in the final ODI against Bangladesh in Chattogram on Saturday, December 10.
The hosts have already sealed the three-match ODI series, having won the first two games in Mirpur. The Indian team management could opt to give chances to some of the youngsters waiting in the wings in the inconsequential encounter.
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Jadeja opined that the Men in Blue should give chances to Tripathi and Patidar, elaborating:
"I am Tripathi's huge fan because he has come in after putting the hard yards but the way I saw Patidar playing, there is a time for a youngster when he is playing well and has come through extremely good form. It will be unfair to drop anyone but when the merry-go-round is going, why do you want these two players standing in the queue?"
Jadeja added that Saturday's match might be the last chance for the duo to get a game. He reasoned:
"When you are playing everyone and want to give only one match and check, this is probably the last chance, they might not be there on the next tour."
Both Tripathi and Patidar are yet to make their India debuts. They have excelled for their respective franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and have impressive records in List-A cricket.
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However, Jadeja pointed out that it would be impossible to guess the actual playing XI, explaining:
"Who will play in the XI, it is impossible to predict that from the last one-and-a-half to two years. If you are sticking to one thing, you can think slightly who will play and who will not. Leave aside injury, that can happen anytime, but at times, they try so much, that they are thinking differently, we don't know what the next thinking will be."
Jadeja was further asked if he sees KL Rahul opening if Ishan Kishan is drafted in as the wicketkeeper-batter. He replied in the negative, reasoning:
"He has given that answer himself today. If his preferred position was opening, there was an opportunity today, he could have come there when Rohit Sharma had gotten injured. He didn't even come at No. 4. I feel his preferred position in this format is that he plays at No. 5."
The Indian think tank is probably looking at Rahul as a middle-order batter for next year's ODI World Cup, with Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan likely to open the batting. In such a scenario, it would be better if he sticks to that spot even in the final ODI.