Jadeja set to RETURN soon, Dravid gives a BIG update!

“Our stocks are pretty good at the moment,” says Indian spin bowling all-rounder head coach Rahul Dravid, who is pleased with the team’s progress.

Dravid also said that Ravindra Jadeja might play soon, which will make India feel good about the spin and all-rounder department.

“I think in our spin bowling all-rounder’s slot our stocks are pretty good at the moment, Shahbaz (Ahmed) was also part of the squad and considering that Washington (Sundar) is there and then Jadeja as well so we are happy with that”

Dravid said at the post-match press conference after India’s 16-run loss in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Pune on Thursday (January 6).

The coach said that it had given him a lot of options in that area because Axar Patel played his role perfectly on Thursday, scoring a wild 65 off just 31 deliveries and taking two wickets in a short period of time.

“I think in T20 cricket, whenever he has got the opportunity, he’s done really well so, that’s really a good sign for us, people like him, people like Washi not getting a game, he’s batting really well and obviously Jadeja coming back (soon) as well gives us nice little (options) in that spin-bowling all-rounder area.”

he added.

Dravid also praised Axar’s batting, noting that the all-rounder relied more on sixes than fours in his trade. India remained in the game until Axar took the field, scoring six boundaries and three maximums at a strike rate of nearly 210.

Highest T20I score by Indians batting No.7 or lower:
50* – Axar Patel v SL, 2023 (so far)
44* – Ravindra Jadeja v AUS, 2020
41* – Dinesh Karthik v WI, 2022
38 – MS Dhoni v ENG, 2012

Axar Patel becomes the first ever No.7 or lower batter to score a T20I fifty for India.#INDvSL

— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) January 5, 2023

“He is certainly doing a really good job and his batting is coming on (in) leaps and bounds. We always knew his quality with the ball and it was just about developing his batting. He is working really hard on it. Honestly, we had identified him more than a year (ago). It’s (batting) an area of his game that we have identified, we know that it’s important for us to have that and whatever opportunities Axar has got, especially with Jadeja missing quite a lot of cricket, he hasn’t let us down in Test cricket, ODIs, whether it’s been here,”

added Dravid.

Sri Lanka restricted Hardik Pandya’s team to 190 runs to advance the series to the decider at Rajkot on Saturday, after setting a target of 207 for India to win the second T20I here on Thursday. Dravid said that Shivam Mavi’s performance as an ideal foil for captain Hardik Pandya in the fast-bowling all-rounder position had “brought a smile” to his face.

The young pace bowler’s back-end score of 26 gave the coach hope that he could be used as a pinch-hitter in the final overs.

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“In the fast-bowling all-rounder area we rely heavily on Hardik and we are looking around for other people to step up and may be do the job for us. And, it was nice to see Mavi bat today (Thursday) so that’s like brings a smile on your face. I mean you can see one of you fast bowlers being able to bat like that.”

he concluded