‘He has been a great servant, but it’s done now’ – Deep Dasgupta shares blunt take on Ravindra Jadeja’s future after Sri Lanka tour

Ravindra Jadeja had sustained a tennis elbow injury in May and missed cricketing action until the two-Test series against Sri Lanka in August. The spin-bowling all-rounder featured in both matches, as the series ended 1-0 in favour of India.

Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta has offered a critical assessment of Jadeja’s performance during the series. Dasgupta highlighted concerns about the spinner’s accuracy and technical issues that emerged during the tour.

“Apart from Manav, our spinners didn’t look as lethal as we expected. I’m not saying there is no ability. On such pitches, Jadeja has always been very destructive and lethal. I thought he would be crucial on the fifth day,” Dasgupta said in a video on his YouTube channel.

“He has been a great servant, but it’s done now. He was not as accurate as he is. His action is very shoulder-dominant,” he added.

India needed to take the last four wickets as early as possible on Day 5 of the second Test to secure a series whitewash. However, they managed to bag only three wickets throughout the day.

Jadeja’s return and accuracy concerns

During the series, Jadeja took eight wickets in 102.3 overs. In the second Test, he could only manage three wickets. He also reached his 350th Test wicket milestone during the tour. Despite this achievements, Dasgupta’s comments suggest concerns about his long-term role in the team.

Jadeja bowled eight no-balls during the Sri Lanka Test series, taking his tally to 88 no-balls in Tests since 2021, the highest among spinners globally. This recurring issue has drawn scrutiny from analysts and former players. Dasgupta emphasised that the problem requires attention during net practice and cannot be overlooked in match situations.

“If you are not careful in the nets, it will happen. Even when I was playing, a lot of them would bowl from ahead and say it would not happen in the match, but they would repeat the same thing in the match. You need to avoid this in the nets. This issue is not new with Jadeja, it has only gotten more,” Dasgupta said.

Building the next generation of spinners

Dasgupta stressed the importance of developing the next generation of spinners to ensure continuity in India’s Test squad. He identified Washington Sundar as a key prospect who could eventually fill Jadeja’s role when the veteran spinner decides to retire.

“We need the next line of spinners to be ready. We need Washington Sundar to be ready. He is absolutely the same as Jadeja,” Dasgupta said.

“So when Jadeja decides to hang up his boots, you need someone who can do the same work. We have to make sure he is ready. It is an important slot,” he added.

Also Read: ‘Good thing he can bat but needs to improve’ – Deep Dasgupta on Manav Suthar after impressive Sri Lanka tour

Dasgupta also assessed the performance of the spinners who featured in the Sri Lanka series. He acknowledged the difficulty of judging a player like Saransh Jain on limited opportunities but called for continued development and game time to build confidence and skill. However, the cricketer-turned-expert was impressed by Manav Suthar’s bowling as he finished as the highest wicket-taker.

“With Saransh, it is difficult to judge anyone in one match. Yes, he has a good domestic record. But you have to build. If he plays more, we will know,” Dasgupta said.

“I felt he was a bit more side-on. I would want to see him work on his release points. Manav was a big positive,” he added.