Ravindra Jadeja — an all-rounder or a reluctant batsman?

If Ravindra Jadeja were to commission a survey, he would realise that a lot of people grudge him. Talented with the bat, smart with the ball, superb on the field, lucky chap, captain's friend, multi-millionaire, rockstar — he is all of that and more.

But for all those triple hundreds scored on shirtfronts back home, he continues to be a reluctant batsman on the international stage. In 115 ODIs since 2009, he averages just 32. More often than not, his smart bowling and electric fielding gets him the nod of other bits-and-pieces all-rounders. But this is the World Cup. And the team can't do with also-rans. Not with the knockouts around the corner.

At the WACA on Friday, India's star-studded batting line-up got its first big scare of the tournament. A tricky target of 183, a fired-up bunch of pacers, floodlights, pace, swing, bounce, pressure — there was everything a batsman dreads. As the top and middle order made heavy weather of a straightforward target, the onus was on MS Dhoni to take the side home. And like he always does, the skipper got the job done with consummate ease.

At the post-match press conference, Dhoni put his point across. He had every reason to. When you are batting with a guy regarded as the best finisher in the game, you have no business to mess things up. The runs weren't a factor. Nor was the run-rate. What mattered was the number of wickets in hand. And, of course, common sense and character. Jadeja failed on those counts.

"No, I think he needs to improve," Dhoni said categorically. "He needs to step up really because we have a lot of faith in him but, at the end of the day, you can't really play with hope. What you want is actually performance on the field. He has that capability. You don't get three triple hundreds in India just because you know how to bat. He's definitely talented, but he needs to keep believing in himself. Every batsman, he is tested in a few areas.

They will bowl short-pitched deliveries to him. He will have to find a way in which he can tackle it because every batsman tackles it in a different way, so he'll have to find a way, what he can really do," the skipper added.
The tactician in Dhoni also spoke of, perhaps, using the Saurashtra player as a pinch-hitter. He didn't say as much, but implied just that.

"Or the second option will be we try to give him a platform where he doesn't have to worry about that. He goes and freely plays his big shots because where he'll find it difficult is if he goes in slightly early, if he goes in close to the 30-over mark, then that's the time when he has to think as to he'll play his big shot or he has to rotate where he can play the big shots and all of that. We'll have to assess all of that and we'll have to give him a bit more liberty to play his big shots, but it will need a platform from the top order," h said.

To be fair to him, Jadeja bats as low as No. 7. In every other scorecard, you'll see 'DNB' against his name. But that's the nature of the game. You have got to make it count whenever the opportunity presents itself. Walking in at the fall of Suresh Raina — another regular offender — Jadeja scratched around for half an hour before falling, well, to a short-pitched delivery against the West Indies. He made 13 off 21 balls. He could have been on nought off 50. It wouldn't have mattered. Dhoni would have got the job done. All he wanted was someone to stay there. R Ashwin did so admirably.

Former Indian skipper Bishen Singh Bedi, one of the greatest left-arm spinners of all time, is furious with Jadeja's approach. "He is not living up to his potential at all. He needs a kick on the back side. He is in the side as a bloody all-rounder. But he bats like a nincompoop. Why do they send him in at No. 7? Ashwin and Shami bat better than him. Jadeja looks like a No. 11. So send him in at No. 11. That's the only way to send your message across," Bedi told dna on Saturday. "He and that Suresh Raina take too much for granted. Are they piggy-riding (the skipper)? You have got to pull up your socks up. Your support staff has 15 members. They are there to help you. But when are you planning to help yourself?" Bedi fumed.

But after slamming Jadeja the batsman, Dhoni got back to praising Jadeja the team man. "Even though Jadeja is not performing really well as a batsman, but he still gives you that comfort if he is at No. 6 or No. 7, it looks like a slightly better side," he said.

JADEJA IN ODIS
M Runs HS Avg SR 100/50 Wkts Econ
115 1714 87 32.33 83.97 0/10 140 4.80

JADEJA IN WC SO FAR
vs Pakistan: 3, 1/56
vs South Africa: 2, 1/37
vs UAE: DNB, 2/23
vs West Indies: 13, 2/27