Asia Cup 2022: Ravindra Jadeja's injury comes as a huge blow to Team India

Ravindra Jadeja during the match against Pakistan on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images

Ravindra Jadeja's unavailability for the remainder of the Asia Cup with a right knee injury is a big blow to Indian aspirations, no matter how competent his replacement, Axar Patel, might be. Hardik Pandya's presence in the middle order, coupled with his rediscovered bowling zing, has helped address a major Indian headache in white-ball cricket. Pandya's spin-bowling mirror image, Jadeja is an equally influential all-round wheel whose value is magnified even more these days.

An instant on-field penalty for a tardy over-rate in the form of an additional fielder in the 30-yard circle for the remaining overs not sent down within the stipulated 85 minutes requires teams to move swiftly between overs. When you have someone like Jadeja, who delivers his left-arm spin in double quick time, it means skipper Rohit Sharma gets a little more wiggle room, which is crucial in a tight contest.

Promotion to No.4

Already at this Asia Cup, Jadeja had proved his worth with bat, ball and in the field. Against Pakistan, with Rishabh Pant warming the bench, the left-hander was pushed up to No.4 to counter leg-spinner Shadab Khan and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. The move paid off handsomely with Babar Azam forced to hold Nawaz's fourth over back till the final over of India's chase, which worked out superbly for India and Pandya, who struck the winning six with two balls to spare.

Axar Patel

Against Hong Kong, where his batting wasn't required, Jadeja bowled four tidy overs for 15, and effected a splendid direct hit from point to run out a doozy Nizakat Khan off a free-hit delivery.

Jadeja's exalted status in the current scheme of things is a far cry from when he was dropped, alongside R Ashwin, from the white-ball team after the Champions Trophy final in 2017 as spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were tasked with doing the middle-overs damage. That Jadeja forced the decision-makers into a rethink just over a year later and reclaimed his place in the playing XI is tribute to his versatility and an admirable commitment to playing all formats.

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Can Axar make it count?

Axar is like-for-like in so many ways and has more than held his own in the chances he has got. Recently, on the tour of Zimbabwe, he had spoken of the challenges of having to play on and off. Whether he walks straightaway into the XI for the Super 4 tie against Pakistan on Sunday remains to be seen, but he will view this fortuitous call-up as another glorious chance to keep pressing his claims for more regular consideration.