‘He has been a great servant, but it’s done now’: Dasgupta calls for India to look beyond Jadeja

New Delhi: Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes India should begin preparing for life beyond Ravindra Jadeja in Test cricket, arguing after the team’s recent two-Test series in Sri Lanka that the veteran all-rounder is no longer producing the same impact as a frontline spinner and that the management must develop its next generation of bowling options.

Jadeja, 37, finished the Sri Lanka series with eight wickets across four innings, but Dasgupta felt India’s spin attack struggled to consistently threaten the opposition on surfaces where the visitors would have expected their slower bowlers to play a decisive role.

The former wicketkeeper particularly pointed to the closing stages of the second Test in Colombo. Despite Sri Lanka being made to follow on, India were unable to quickly break through their lower order as Sonal Dinusha produced a century and helped his side build a substantial lead.

“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. 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,” Dasgupta said in a video on his YouTube channel.

While Jadeja claimed three wickets in the second innings in Colombo, Dasgupta assessed that India needed greater penetration from its experienced spin resources. Young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar was the exception in his view, with the former India player also stressing the importance of building a strong succession plan.

The Sri Lanka series also saw India’s spinners deal with repeated no-ball issues. Saransh Jain, making his Test debut in Colombo, bowled four no-balls, while Jadeja overstepped once. Dasgupta said such problems often have their roots in training habits.

“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 worse,” added Dasgupta.

Looking ahead, Dasgupta identified Washington Sundar as a potential long-term replacement for Jadeja in the spin-bowling all-rounder’s role, while suggesting that Suthar could develop into a specialist left-arm spin option for India.

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

Jadeja remains one of India’s most accomplished Test all-rounders and added another major milestone during the Sri Lanka series, becoming only the fourth player in Test history to complete the double of 4,000 runs and 350 wickets.

However, Dasgupta’s comments reflect the growing debate around India’s long-term spin combination and whether the team should now accelerate preparations for a future in which Jadeja is no longer a central part of its Test plans.

IANS