Of the 51 IPL matches played by Kedar Jadhav, only 28 have been as a specialist batsman. In 23 other matches, apart from taking up a batting slot, Jadhav has also fulfilled the role of a wicket-keeper. He has 11 catches and four stumpings to his credit.
On Sunday in Dharamsala, in his eighth ODI for India, the big-hitting batsman rolled his arm over and picked two wickets for just six runs in only three overs to peg New Zealand further back. If he had bowled the fifth ball of his second over as well as the previous two, Jadhav would have even ended up with an ODI hat-trick. His off-breaks were so good that it made one forget that Team India’s latest part-timer was earlier a backup wicket-keeping option.
Captain MS Dhoni has stressed on the need of specialist batsmen in the team doubling up as part-time bowlers to provide more options when regular bowlers have a rough day. Jadhav with his attacking batting and off-spin has answered his captain’s call and put his hand up for the team. “When you play for India, you have to contribute in every possible way you can. In the IPL, I did it by keeping wickets. Here, I am doing with my bowling. I have been working on my bowling in domestic cricket too. I got two wickets and my bowling was also quite economical (2.00). I am very happy with my bowling performance,” he told BCCI.TV.
After wickets of Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santer, Jadhav is now looking to add more to his tally and share the load of the bowling group.
“When the captain wins the toss and elects to bowl first, it is the responsibility of the bowlers to respond to his call and make sure that he has made the right decision. That is what we did in the last game and are now looking forward to the next game.”
For a team that prefers to play an attacking brand of cricket, Jadhav with his aggressive strokeplay fits the bill perfectly. He can pull the ball hard and also has innovative shots up his sleeves that can flummox the opposition. His late cuts can frustrate the opposition and has a unique way to deal with the yorkers. In one of the nets session, Jadhav nonchalantly tapped a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah towards fine leg by moving sideways. “Basically, I have been playing a lot of tennis ball cricket and in that you don’t have much time as those are just six and eight-over games. You have to hit every ball; you can’t take time to settle down. My aim is to convert every ball into scoring opportunities.”
His batting style involves high risk, but Jadhav is not the one to back down. “It is my natural game to attack the bowlers and that is how I have played right from childhood. I am not going to change it at this level (international) also. I will definitely bat according to the team’s requirement, but as far as my role is concerned, it is to finish the game for my side and that is what I will try and do.”
The 31-year-old who captains Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy said having Dhoni’s backing has boosted his confidence. “When a team is playing a typical brand of cricket, which is attacking as both the captains (Virat Kohli in Tests and MS Dhoni in ODIs) are very aggressive,it suits me. The captain backs me both with the bat and ball and you geta tremendous amount of confidence. It makes your life easier in the middle. The chance of you not performing then is very less.”
