Pandya vs Jadeja: Who should be in India's 2019 World Cup squad?
The Indian team has been finding it hard to get their perfect playing XI for the World Cup. The preparations do not look good for India as the 2019 ICC World Cup is just 2 months away. The Indian team is experimenting with their options in the ongoing India-Australia ODI series.
The main questions for the Indian side pertaining to their playing XI are the no. 4 batsman and the perfect all-rounder. I had earlier discussed the no.4 problem and now I will talk about the all-rounder's problem.
Also Read - Rayudu vs Rahul: Who should be in India's 2019 World Cup squad?
With four main front-line bowlers in the side in Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar India can only fit 2 all-rounders in their squad now.
Vijay Shankar has more or less sealed his spot in the 15-man squad and besides him, there are two top all-rounders available for the selection in Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. But, only one can be in the squad for the mega World Cup event. Ravindra Jadeja has been the part of the ongoing ODI series between India and Australia because of Hardik Pandya’s back problem.
So far, Ravindra Jadeja has bagged 1 wicket in 3 matches and has scored 45 runs with the bat in 2 innings which shows his shaky form. He hasn’t been in great touch with the ball so far but has done well in the fielding department. He has won the hearts of millions of the Indians with two huge run outs in this series.
Coming to Pandya, he has played no ODI matches for India after 3 February 2019 pertaining to continuous injury issues. He played his last ODI match against New Zealand in which he scored 45 runs with the bat and even picked 2 wickets with the ball. So referring to current form, Pandya is just a step ahead of Jadeja for the World Cup squad.
Given that the pitches in England will favor pace more than spin, I think Hardik Pandya has the upper hand in this race and him along with Vijay Shankar will make it to the 15-man squad.