Ravindra Jadeja’s unavailability for the remainder of the Asia Cup with a right knee injury is a big blow to Indian aspirations, no matter how competent his replacement, Axar Patel, might be. Hardik Pandya’s presence in the middle order, coupled with his rediscovered bowling zing, has helped address a major Indian headache in white-ball cricket. Pandya’s spin-bowling mirror image, Jadeja is an equally influential all-round wheel whose value is magnified even more these days.

An instant on-field penalty for a tardy over-rate in the form of an additional fielder in the 30-yard circle for the remaining overs not sent down within the stipulated 85 minutes requires teams to move swiftly between overs. When you have someone like Jadeja, who delivers his left-arm spin in double quick time, it means skipper Rohit Sharma gets a little more wiggle room, which is crucial in a tight contest.