Dilip Doshi: Ravindra Jadeja must be consistent while bowling too

Dilip Doshi is not happy with the way his fellow Saurashtra spinner is bowling in his comeback to the limited overs format

Rajkot: Ravindra Jadeja capped off his best year as a batsman in 2019 with 693 runs in 23 innings across all three formats. While his improved performance with the willow is obviously a welcome change, a bit more consistency in his left-arm spin is something former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi hoping to see.

Doshi is not happy with the way his fellow Saurashtra spinner is bowling in his comeback to the limited overs format. "He [Jadeja] needs to focus and improve on his bowling further. He needs to be consistent. It is the key to his success. I find that modern day spinners change their action too often according to formats. That spoils their rhythm and hampers their confidence. Spin bowling is all about rhythm. The moment you make those changes, it will have an impact on your bowling," Doshi, 72, told mid-day on Friday while watching the second ODI between India and Australia at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here.

Across the last two years, Jadeja has claimed 25 wickets in ODIs and four in T20Is. He remains an important cog in the Test set-up along with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in manning the spin department.

Doshi felt Ashwin should get a look-in for ODIs. "Ashwin is unarguably our best spinner. Your best team has to play and he has not featured in the one-day team for some time. I don't know the reasons. He should get a look-in for ODIs unless there are other reasons like fitness which I'm not aware of," said Doshi, who played 33 Tests and 15 ODIs, claiming 114 and 22 wickets respectively.

Dilip Doshi

The former spinner is strongly against the segregation of bowlers as per formats. "Whoever plays, has to be a wicket-taking bowler. Your best bowlers must play regularly. A good Test player is good enough to adjust to other demands. I don't believe in this theory of different bowlers for different formats. There can be a pool of bowlers but I don't believe that a good Test bowler cannot be a good one-day bowler or cannot adjust to the demands of T20s. I don't subscribe to that theory,"
he said.

Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav has been off colour of late and his ability to surprise the batsmen seems to be on the wane. However, Doshi has a sympathetic view towards the tweaker. "It is always difficult for wrist spinners in limited overs. He has the potential, so give him more chances. He is not completely ready yet but will improve. So, you have to be patient," Doshi signed off.

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