- Venkatathy Raju points out limitations in Axar Patel’s bowling and draws a comparison with Ravindra Jadeja. Former India spinner Venkatathy Raju has given his take on the debate between Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja in ODIs.
- Venkatathy Raju highlights Axar Patel’s bowling limitations and draws comparison with Ravindra Jadeja (Source: R jadeja/IG and Axar Patel/IG) India’s five-match ODI series against New Zealand began in Auckland on November 4, with Axar Patel included in the squad after Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out following a difficult series in the West Indies.
- The selection has reignited discussions about Indian spin bowlers in the 50-over format, especially as the team prepares for the ODI World Cup to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21, 2027.
Venkatathy Raju points out limitations in Axar Patel’s bowling and draws a comparison with Ravindra Jadeja. Former India spinner Venkatathy Raju has given his take on the debate between Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja in ODIs.
Venkatathy Raju highlights Axar Patel’s bowling limitations and draws comparison with Ravindra Jadeja (Source: R jadeja/IG and Axar Patel/IG) India’s five-match ODI series against New Zealand began in Auckland on November 4, with Axar Patel included in the squad after Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out following a difficult series in the West Indies. The selection has reignited discussions about Indian spin bowlers in the 50-over format, especially as the team prepares for the ODI World Cup to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21, 2027. Former India left-arm spinner Venkatathy Raju has weighed in on the debate, giving a nuanced view of the two players while highlighting deeper concerns about India’s bowling depth.
Raju acknowledged Axar’s importance to the team across all formats but highlighted specific weaknesses that need to be addressed before the World Cup. “The only concern for me is the all-rounders because from what we saw in the T20s in New Zealand, we were very good chasers. But we haven’t been able to limit ourselves lately, have we?
We cannot limit teams when shipping a total quantity. We are not able to restrict that because of the lack of good-quality spinners.” Raju was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports. Raju acknowledged that Axar has been a valuable all-rounder for India over the years, contributing both with the bat and on the field.
However, he pointed out that bowling in the 50-over format presents a different challenge as spinners have to maintain their efficiency for a longer period of time. He also believes Axar needs to rediscover some of the variations that made it effective. “Axar has been there for a long time.
He was the most important all-round player for us. But hey, T20s – not much can be said about T20s. But in 50 overs, you have to play in those extra overs.
So it’s a very big advantage,” he said. The former spinner also highlighted the lack of a consistent wicket partner for Axar. Drawing comparisons to India’s previous spin combinations, including Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav as well as Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, Raju felt the current bowling attack lacked a similar threat in the middle overs.
He also pointed to injuries to several all-rounders, including Washington Sundar, and said Axar will have to take on greater responsibility in the coming months. “But lately those variations are a bit missing in his bowling. The timing of him having to sort this out quickly is important because we all know his line-up and his ability with the bat.
But lately we don’t have twins like Chahal or Kuldeep. When they were there, they were the winners of the game, right? But today Axar no longer has much support.
If we add Ashwin or anyone else, their combination was brilliant, like Jadeja and Ashwin. “I think Axar also needs a wicket bowler in between, which we are missing.” He also knows that he is a very important and key player in any setup, whether he is playing Test matches, 50 overs or T20 matches. This is a very important character as we are targeting versatile players.
Then there are a lot of people who are injured, people like Washington Sundar and everything. Most of them are on the injured list. “Axar must therefore step up and take on this responsibility,” he added.
Raju also pointed out the similarities between Axar and Jadeja, especially their defensive and batting skills. However, he pointed out that Axar’s bowling has not been as threatening lately, which is why it is important for him to improve that aspect of his game. “It looks like that because we have Axar Patel.
If you see the similarities between Jadeja and Axar, right? Both are brilliant fielders. Both can contribute with the bat.
But then the bowling part – we’re starting to not see much of that rush in Axar’s bowling, are we?” Raju said. What are the limitations of Axar Patel’s bowling? Beyond the current selection debate, Raju stressed the need for India to identify and prepare players who can form the core of the team for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
He pointed to India’s successful 2011 World Cup campaign and highlighted how the team had combined experienced players with younger cricketers who already had significant international experience. “So if you look at the 2011 World Cup, you had Sachin Tendulkar, right? At that time, players like Laxman and all these guys were already 30 years old – 38, 39.
I think they made a brilliant choice by using one or two experienced players and then there were a lot of young players who had the experience of over 75 ODI games. “I think now is the time where you really, really have to find the people who are going to play – find the players who are going to play more games,” he added. He also stressed the importance of having experienced players in the team, especially for the conditions abroad.
With India all set to take part in the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Raju believes the team will need a good balance of youth and experience, especially in the bowling department. “Because as you can see, in the T20 years we never had many all-rounders and there wasn’t a lot of experience in that bowling team. But we’re talking about the upcoming World Cup, for example – so people mostly talk about Virat and Rohit, right?
For example, we need a lot of experience when playing outside India and these guys have been there. Nowadays they play only one format,” said Raju. Raju also suggested that senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should feature regularly in the ODIs ahead of the tournament.
He believes their experience and match-winning ability could be valuable as India looks to find its best combination. “So they should probably play as many games as possible between now and the World Cup. We don’t need to talk much about Rohit and Kohli as they both have been there for a long time.
Both won the match,” he added. How do Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja fare? Raju’s concerns were not limited to the advertising industry in India.
He also highlighted the lack of tall, fast bowlers, who have become an important part of the attacks of teams such as Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. According to him, the injuries have further weakened India’s position in this area. “If you look at all the nations that play white ball today – like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand – they all have very great bowlers and bowlers who hit the deck.
Where are we lacking in that? Because most of the guys who had that ability are on the injured list. So the most important thing is how you deal with them.
You see, we will definitely lose some games,” said Raju. The former India player concluded by emphasizing that the team management and selectors need to utilize the time before the World Cup to find the right combination and manage the workload of key players. He believes bowling could be India’s biggest concern ahead of the tournament as the spin and pace departments face questions of depth and availability.
“But then, before the World Cup, when you get your stuff and your combination right – because here we lack spin, fast bowlers and all-rounders who get injured. So it’s not just about batting – I think bowling will be our main focus. You therefore risk losing some bilateral series.
But probably I think the selection and (team) management have to find a combination. Then try to take care of them before the World Cup,” he added.
