Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has criticised Ravindra Jadeja’s lack of urgency with the bat, calling it a decisive factor in India’s defeat in the second ODI of the series. India posted a competitive total but scored only 74 runs in the last 10 overs, losing momentum despite a strong platform built by Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and KL Rahul.

After Kohli and Gaikwad set the tempo, India’s run rate dipped sharply in the death overs. Though Rahul remained unbeaten on an aggressive 66 off 43 balls, his partners struggled to accelerate. Washington Sundar managed just 1 from 8 deliveries, while Jadeja finished unbeaten on 24 from 27 balls, an innings Pathan felt cost India crucial runs.

Speaking on his YouTube show Seedhi Baat after South Africa chased down the target in 49.2 overs, Pathan said:

"Ravindra Jadeja’s innings, 27 balls for 24, felt extremely slow. We mentioned during commentary that this could hurt India, and it did. When everyone else is scoring at more than a run a ball and you’re striking at 88, the intent becomes questionable. Sometimes slow innings happen, and that’s okay, but the urgency just wasn’t there."

Jadeja’s strike rate was the second lowest among Indian batters who faced at least 20 balls, and the absence of a single six allowed South Africa to regain control in the backend. India were 289 for 4 at the 40-over mark but could not find the explosive finish expected in modern ODI cricket.

Pathan also highlighted the impact of dew, noting that India needed a buffer of extra runs knowing it would make bowling harder later. KL Rahul echoed the same point after the match, admitting India fell short of the ideal total.

However, the new single-ball rule introduced this year, abolishing the use of two balls in an innings has made slog overs more challenging. With one ball used from the 35th over onwards, reverse swing and spin come into play more effectively, restricting big hitting. Earlier, the two-ball format kept the ball harder for longer, giving batters more scoring freedom.

Despite the change, the series has seen high totals, and the decider in Visakhapatnam is expected to offer another batting-friendly surface when the teams meet for the final ODI.