NEW DELHI: Former India batter Kris Srikkanth has questioned India’s team balance in ODIs, calling out the continued absence of Axar Patel at a time when Ravindra Jadeja‘s form has dipped and the side is crying out for a reliable sixth bowling option. His remarks came after India’s seven-wicket loss to New Zealand in Rajkot, where the visitors chased down 285 with ease to level the series 1-1.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!With Washington Sundar ruled out, Jadeja is currently India’s only spin-bowling all-rounder in the XI. But Srikkanth felt the veteran looked short of answers. “Jadeja is one of my favourite players. But he does not seem to know what to do. He looks caught between attacking and giving the ball flight,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. Jadeja returned wicketless figures of 0/44 from eight overs, unable to strike when India needed breakthroughs most.
Srikkanth made a strong case for Axar Patel’s inclusion, questioning the rigid template around all-rounders. “It is an open secret — why not bring Axar back? Why can’t you play three spinners and three pacers? Is there a rule that the bowling all-rounder must be a medium pacer? It’s impossible to replace Hardik Pandya. You can’t. Axar would have been the ideal candidate today. The sixth bowler was missing,” he said.Highlighting Axar’s big-tournament pedigree, Srikkanth added: “Axar has a terrific record. He did well in the Champions Trophy and won us the T20 World Cup. Suddenly, he is nowhere. Where is Axar Patel? The team is suffering at the end of the day.” Axar’s ODI numbers back the claim—75 wickets in 66 innings at an economy of 4.49, along with 859 runs.
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Srikkanth also termed India’s bowling “very ordinary” beyond the new-ball spells, pointing to the lack of flexibility when Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled just two overs. “There is no option of a sixth bowler at all,” he said, suggesting more tactical risk could have been taken when Kuldeep Yadav struggled for rhythm.India captain Shubman Gill, meanwhile, cited the failure to take wickets in the middle overs as the decisive factor. Despite early strikes, Daryl Mitchell (131) and Will Young (87) forged a match-winning partnership. Gill admitted India could have been “a little bit braver” during that phase and stressed the cost of missed chances, as KL Rahul’s 112 went in vain.
