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Originally Posted by CricAddict
Arjun, I appreciate how you consistently track Indian domestic cricket and provide us good commentary and updates on it. But I am slightly disappointed with your hate for Jadeja. Have frequently seen you picking up on him.
I for one, believe that he has lots of potential to be the next good if not great allrounder for India in tests and should play tests instead of ODIs. The man has just done what only few greats have done before and we should give him his due.
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Plenty of Indian prospects, current players and rejects, value the India cap. That includes Sanjay Bangar and Yusuf Pathan. Not Jadeja, who tried to use his India cap to bargain for a bigger IPL contract. This bloke was given loads of chances, and an unquestioned place in the national side, compared to the number of times Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan and Amit Mishra have been in and out of the side. He is still used with protection, in timing as well as field setting- you'll never see him facing two set batsmen, or bowling with a new ball, or closing the innings. Not different from your usual part-timer. Guess what, the part-timers are good enough for the top six.
Yusuf Pathan won the Duleep Trophy with a double century. Nobody noticed. Yusuf Pathan scored a 150 and took ten wickets in a match. Nobody noticed. Yusuf Pathan's century in an ODI changed that ODI and India won. Once more. Still, twice over, nobody noticed. Ashwin has a Test average of 42 with the bat. Nobody seems to notice.
While Jadeja's two triple centuries are a significant achievement, that doesn't suggest he can win matches for India, or even make a difference in the Indian side. Rather, you now know how cheap runs can get in that area. Instead, we need to encourage the likes of Pankaj Singh, Parvinder Awana, Sandeep Sharma, Bhuv Kumar and Rishi Dhawan, who are getting plenty of wickets, and can make a difference in the national side.
Express pacers make a difference. All-rounders who are strike bowlers make a difference. Batsmen scoring runs in difficult conditions (Delhi, Ghaziabad, Lahli) make a difference. Not two triple centuries in Gujarat and little outside of that- at least JJ Singh, Paras Dogra and Yashpal Singh get runs regularly.