3 Players who can replace Ravindra Jadeja for the Test series against England

Indian cricket team has been plagued with injuries in the ongoing India tour of Australia as one after the other the visiting players are suffering from injuries and are returning back to India mid-way. The new addition to this is veteran spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The Men in Blue received a massive blow ahead of the last Test against Australia, starting from January 15 in Brisbane, as Jadeja has been ruled out of the remainder of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

The all-rounder suffered a blow to his left thumb while batting on Day 3 of the third Test at SCG that concluded on Monday and resulted in a draw. Ravindra Jadeja’s scan reports showed that he has dislocated his thumb and will need to undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for further management of his injury. He also underwent an operation in Sydney on Tuesday.

Moreover, reports also suggest that Jadeja had injured himself badly and can be out of action for as long as February 20 or even further. This means that the 32-year-old can sit out for at least the first two Test matches of the four-match Test series against England, starting from February 5 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

He is a vital cog in India’s line-up in the purest format of the game as he has the ability to be a match-winner both with the willow and the ball. The absence of Ravindra Jadeja also opens the doors of opportunities for the other players who are looking forward to proving their credentials as a Test player.

Here’s the list of 3 players who can replace the all-rounder if he misses the England Test series:

Shahbaz Nadeem

The slow left-arm orthodox bowler, hailing from Muzaffarpur, Shahbaz Nadeem is hailed as a promising bowler who can do wonders for India on the big stage if nurtured properly. Apart from being renowned for his courageous left-arm slow bowling, Nadeem is an agile fielder as well.

The spinner boasts of having stunning numbers to his name in the domestic circuit especially in the First-class games. He has featured in 117 first-class fixtures scalping a whopping 443 wickets at an economy rate of 2.70 and an average of 28.7. One of the most under-rated spinners of India, Nadeem bagged his maiden Test debut cap in a home game against South Africa on October 19, 2019.

The Bihar-born had an impressive debut as he picked 4 wickets across two innings at an economy of 2.30. However, he failed to make it to the playing XI of the national team after that. The absence of Ravindra Jadeja can be a good opportunity for Shahbaz Nadeem to excel at the big stage.

Hardik Pandya

There won’t be many cricket fans who don’t know about the charisma and swagger of all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the gentleman’s game. Just like Ravindra Jadeja, Pandya is known for his swashbuckling ability to strike the ball with the willow, outstanding fielding, and street-smart bowling. The Baroda-born can single-handedly win any game for India.

Hardik had made his Test debut for India against Sri Lanka on July 16, 2017, but has failed to cement his place in the Playing XI. He represented India in the purest format of the game just 11 times scoring 532 runs at an average of 31.3 and scalping 17 wickets at an economy of 3.38.

While Hardik can do wonders for India in Test format, he won’t be exactly a like-for-like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja as the former is a right-arm fast-medium bowler while Jadeja is a leg-spinner. Also, Hardik is not bowling currently due to his back surgery and the Indian team might need to play him as a specialist batsman.

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav, a rare breed of Chinaman bowler in the modern era, is most likely to replace Ravindra Jadeja against England. Out of all the three aforementioned players, Kuldeep has an excellent record while representing India in a handful of matches in the purest format of the game.

The left-arm spinner is also included in the Test squad for the India tour of Australia but had to warm the bench as Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin are the first-choice spin duo. Kuldeep has played just 6 Test matches thus far but has managed to scalp 24 wickets at an economy of 3.51 and an average of 24.1.

The 26-year-old also has the ability to perform the duties of a night-watchman for the Indian team. Kuldeep boasts of having an equally impressive record in first-class cricket as in 31 games, he has picked 121 wickets.