“Ravindra Jadeja struggles in rotating the strike” - Irfan Pathan reveals key reason behind India’s defeat in 2nd ODI

Irfan Pathan pinpointed Ravindra Jadeja's poor strike rotation (27 off 44, SR 61) as decisive factor in India's 284 all-out vs NZ 2nd ODI loss at Rajkot: "Should've played SR 80...Jadeja hasn't scored ODI fifty since 2020" while praising Rahul's contrasting SR 90.

By Jack 16 Jan 2026 in Cricket

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Former India all-rounder and commentator Irfan Pathan has slammed the all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for his poor strike rate with the willow in the second ODI against New Zealand, as the hosts suffered a seven-wicket defeat in Rajkot.

Though Jadeja stitched a good 73-run partnership after the Indian top order’s mini collapse, he got out on 27, facing 44 balls in the process with a strike rate of 61.36 as India managed to post 284/7 on a good batting wicket.

“Where did India lose the match? KL Rahul played with a strike rate of 90 [121.73], but Ravindra Jadeja only maintained a strike rate of 60 [61.36] during his innings of 27. Rajkot is also Jadeja’s home ground,” Irfan said on his YouTube channel.

"If there is an all-rounder after Kapil Dev in Test cricket, it’s Jadeja. But when it comes to ODI cricket, Jadeja struggles in rotating the strike. He should’ve played with a strike rate of 80 and Jadeja couldn’t do it. Jadeja hasn’t scored a fifty in ODIs since 2020. He is under plenty of pressure,” he added.

Furthermore, Pathan also questioned Jadeja’s place in the 50-over format ahead of the all-rounder Axar Patel, who has been decent enough in this particular format. Moreover, Pathan felt Jadeja must perform in the third ODI to stay in contention for selection.

"With the ball, Jadeja has managed only one wicket in the last five games at 200. These are poor numbers for any senior player. Axar Patel is no doubt ahead of him. Jadeja must perform in the next game, as it was a decisive factor in India’s defeat," he concluded.

India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ayush Badoni.

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