3 players who can be picked as Ravindra Jadeja's backups for India's tour of South Africa

The Indian tour of South Africa is currently in jeopardy due to the emergence of Omicron variant in South Africa. The South African tour will begin on December 17th, with three Tests, as many ODIs, and four T20 Internationals. For the sake of the Indian team’s safety, the BCCI had considered postponing the tour by a week or reducing the number of Test matches to two.

The Indian team for South Africa will be selected later this week. With Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand due to injury concerns, there has been a cloud covering on the participation of the all-rounder in the overseas tour.

In addition, his performance in the game’s longest format hasn’t been stellar. Despite the fact that he is predicted to be fit for the Tests, backups should be prepared for his role.

In the article, we have a look on the three players who can replace Ravindra Jadeja in the Indian team for the tour of South Africa:

1. Axar Patel

Due to his recent achievements in Test cricket, the left-handed all-rounder from Gujarat will be the first choice option to replace Ravindra Jadeja in South Africa. Axar made his debut against England in Chennai and has been on a rampage since then. In just four Tests, he has recorded five five-wicket hauls. His rich vein of form will be beneficial in South Africa, where spin bowling is often unsuitable.

The left-arm spinner bowls wicket to wicket and really keeps a tight line and length. He’s relentless with his length which makes it so difficult for the batsmen to get any runs off him. If India chooses to play five bowlers, Axar can be a really good option to take wickets as a fifth bowler.

His variations in speed makes it really difficult for the batters to comprehend and his accuracy in the variations in unparalleled. He uses the crease to a great effect and uses different release points to confuse the batter. He has the occasional arm ball which turns into the right handed batter. When the pitch wears and tears on day four and five, Axar will be a really difficult bowler to negotiate.

Furthermore, Axar is a useful batter down in the order. He can bat long with the other batters and cause problems for the opponent with his batting abilities. Overall, he is a terrific all-rounder to have as a backup to Jadeja, and he can fill in admirably in the absence of the ace all-rounder.