This Is My Time That I Pay Back, Says Thankful Kedar Jadhav

Buoyed by the match-winning fifty against Australia in the first ODI on Saturday, Kedar Jadhav feels it’s “payback time” for all the faith that the skipper and the team-management showed in him.

Just a couple of months ahead of the all-important World Cup, Jadhav underlined his importance to the team with an impressive knock in Hyderabad. Chasing a modest 237, India were in all sorts of trouble after their top-order experienced a rare off day. India started their chase on a poor note. Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan departed for a first ball duck.

But Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli then steadied the ship, taking the score past the fifty run-mark. However, just when it looked the duo is well set and would bat India to a position of strength, Australia struck back by dismissing both of them in quick succession.

Adam Zampa broke the 76-run stand between Rohit and Kohli by sending back the latter for 44.  Coulter-Nile then accounted for Rohit to reduce India to 95 for 3 before Zampa struck again to remove Ambati Rayudu and leave India reeling at 99 for 4. But before the visitors could make further inroads in the game, Jadhav in the company of MS Dhoni bailed India out of trouble. The duo went on to share an unbeaten stand of 141 runs to take India home. Jadhav remained unbeaten on 81 while Dhoni played the role of second fiddle to perfection, scoring 59 not out.

Speaking after the game, Jadhav pointed out how Kohli and the team backed him when he was sidelined with an injury. Jadhav has had multiple breakdowns due to a dodgy hamstring which also included a near six-month lay-off due to a surgery.

“Obviously, the kind of confidence they have given has helped me deliver consistently. Credit goes to the captain and management for backing me in my difficult times and this is my time that I pay back to the confidence and faith they have shown in my difficult times,” Jadhav said at post-match press-conference.

“Everybody has been encouraging towards me irrespective of how many times I have got injured you know. Every time I have got fit, I have walked into the team. That is the kind of confidence that the team management has in me,” he added.

He further said the team management has already specified him that he is their designated “finisher at No 6”.

“It’s more than one and half or two years that I have been batting at this number (No 6). I still remember in January, 2017 against England in India, I batted at No 6 only and got Man of the Series,” he said.

“From there on, the team management has been looking at me as a finisher. They have clearly told me that you will be batting at No 6 till the time you are there. So the management and team had been clear about everybody’s role and everybody is clear about what is expected of individual players,” he added.

India, meanwhile, will be looking to continue their winning run when they take on Australia in the second ODI on March 5 in Nagpur.