Jadeja, Binny and the allrounder's conundrum

Ravindra Jadeja v Stuart Binny. It isn't a clash that polarises fans. It isn't even a storied battle for one-upmanship. Their teams are not even playing against each other, but in the last round of Ranji Trophy matches before the Test series against South Africa begins they will be involved in a bit of a match-up, one to keep a close eye on because it is a final audition before they join the India side.

It is admirable that both of them are turning out for their state sides - Binny for Karnataka and Jadeja for Saurashtra - after their inclusion in India's 16-man squad. Most players look to go easy on such games ahead of an important series. It also underscores the relative importance of the game in the context of their careers. It is after all a straight shootout between the two for the all-rounder's slot in the national team.

Despite Virat Kohli's inclination to play five bowlers, Binny's inclusion in the second and third Tests in Sri Lanka showed it wasn't a tactic cast in stone. It remains to be seen if the all-round option would be taken if given the luxury again. Jadeja and Binny are not allrounders in strictest terms, but they have in the past provided captains the flexibility to play four other specialist bowlers.

It's not an easy ask to trace the subtleties of Jadeja's career arc in the last few years. He appears to have effortlessly embraced the extreme swings in public perception. Jadeja has gone from being laughed at and loathed to being adored and celebrated. There has also been a phase more recently where he has dodged the radar and emerged stronger for that. It is a phase where he has gobbled up 37 wickets in three Ranji Trophy matches, including six consecutive five-fors at an otherworldly average of 9.

Jadeja hasn't done badly with the bat either, whipping up 154 runs at 38.50, including two half-centuries. After being left out for the Sri Lanka series, he was duly recalled to the senior team as much for his form as also for the potency of his accurate left-armers on home-grown surfaces.

Jadeja's critics, though, have held up the fact that all his wickets in this season have come on Rajkot's rank turners. Niranjan Shah, the president of Saurashtra Cricket Association, has made no bones about admitting to preparing surfaces that suited Jadeja's style of bowling, but said in the same vein that they weren't under-prepared.

Nevertheless, as Saurashtra play their first away game of the season against Services in Delhi, it's an opportunity for Jadeja to put to rest such criticism. With R Ashwin recovering from an injury and Amit Mishra finding himself embroiled in an alleged assault case, Jadeja's relative significance in the spin department is enhanced.

Meanwhile, Binny hasn't had much game time at the highest level lately. He was benched for four ODIs against South Africa after he conceded 63 in eight overs in the first in Kanpur. But in Sri Lanka, while he didn't take many wickets, his seam-bowling was effective on more responsive tracks. But it isn't certain if the pitches prepared for the South Africa series at home will suit him.

Binny will be relieved to be finally getting game time, and his side Karnataka, who haven't played like the two-time defending champions, will gladly welcome him back. They have already conceded the first-innings advantage on two occasions, and have come under scrutiny for their controversial decision to rotate wicket-keeping duties between CM Gautam and Robin Uthappa.

With KL Rahul and Karun Nair away playing in the tour game against the South Africans, and HS Sharath, Abhimanyu Mithun and Manish Pandey injured, Binny's return is a much-needed boost to a unit in need of fresh energy. Binny, too, will relish the bowling responsibilities in what are often seamer-friendly conditions in Jaipur. Of course a good show with the bat will provide an added edge.

Kohli could still go ahead and play six specialist batsmen, one of these could take another five-for over the weekend and still be left out for the first Test, but they know a big performance here will make it difficult for the team management to do so.