Jadeja returns to India's ODI squad

Ravindra Jadeja is back in India's ODI squad. The selectors have named him as a like-for-like replacement for the left-arm spinner Axar Patel in the squad for the first three ODIs against Australia. Axar sprained his left ankle playing football during a training session ahead of the first ODI, which takes place in Chennai on Sunday.

Jadeja had initially been rested from the squad, along with India's other premier Test-match spinner R Ashwin. The two had also been left out of the limited-overs leg of India's recent tour of Sri Lanka, and their prolonged absence from the ODI squad - despite chief selector MSK Prasad's reiteration that both were only being rested - was viewed by some as the team looking beyond them for one-day and T20 cricket.

While Ashwin has been playing for Worcestershire in the County Championship in England during his time away from the ODI team, Jadeja has not played any competitive match since the second Test in Sri Lanka in early August. He missed the third Test after earning a suspension for accumulating six demerit points within a 24-month period.

Jadeja is currently ranked No. 2 in the ICC Test bowling rankings, but has endured a difficult time in ODIs of late. He took four wickets at 62.25 while conceding 5.92 per over in the Champions Trophy in June, and followed that up with two wicketless matches during India's tour of the West Indies.