Jadhav on Dhoni asking him to bowl: “It has changed my life”

Jadhav on Dhoni asking him to bowl: Kedar Jadhav has revealed how Dhoni asking him to bowl has changed his life as a cricketer.

Having registered bowling figures of 9-1-23-3 in India’s second match of the Asia Cup against Pakistan at Dubai yesterday, Kedar Jadhav became the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the match for his team.

Jadhav had also bowled seven economical overs against Hong Kong on the day before as India nervously defended 286 runs against the minnows. There have been instances in the past when Jadhav had bailed the team out by taking wickets at crucial junctures or by just bowling the a few economical over while the others were being belted away for runs.

It is this ability of the 33-year old cricketer which makes him an apt candidate to bat at No. 6 in the Indian limited-overs format teams. Given his capability to finish the innings, his bowling adds value to him being an all-round cricketer. Watch some of the tweets which came his way after his spell yesterday:

 

Before making his debut for India, Jadhav hardly used to bowl (for Maharashtra). In his then nine-year long career, he had almost as many wickets under his belt. In a recent interview, Jadhav let out the fact that it was the then captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who had asked him to bowl in the nets and from there on it started at a serious level for Jadhav.

“If you’ve to play in the Indian team, as long as you keep contributing, you should be happy. Since the time Dhoni asked me to bowl in the New Zealand series, my life has completely changed and I feel confident about it. My bowling is all about trying to read the batsman. My plan is to bowl stump-to-stump, if you score, it’s fine but if you miss, wickets are there for me”, Jadhav was quoted.

Jadhav has often admitted that his bowling is all about sticking to his limited skills than trying extra-ordinary things with the ball in hand. Neither does Jadhav hesitates in ‘sticking’ to his skills nor does he try to emulate other genuine spinners around him. On being asked about whether he practices his craft by bowling in front of a single wicket or by shadow practicing, Jadhav answered in the negative.

“Honestly, I bowl one or two overs before the match at training. I don’t bowl much at the nets. I feel if I try and become a bowler, I will lose whatever I have. So I stay within limits”, he said in an amusing manner.

“Upfront when your fast bowlers bowl well, that means batsmen will try to score runs off the spinners. It gives us more opportunities to take wickets, so it works”, he added.

Despite putting a considerable claim on the No. 6 position in ODIs and T20I, Jadhav doesn’t want to take things lightly. He believes that batting is his primary role and only runs flowing from his bat will give him a longer run in the team. Speaking about his batting, Jadhav was quoted, “Batting, my role is that of a finisher. Everyone has a role, we’ve been given specific roles, so there is a plan and we follow that. I know if I stay till the end I can perform better and win games for India.”

Jadhav, who made his ODI debut at the age of 29 against Sri Lanka at Ranchi in 2014, is on the wrong side of age for a cricketer who has only played 42 ODIs. As a result, remaining fit also comes into the picture in a substantial amount. Jadhav has had his share of injuries this year when he had to return back from the tour of South Africa and then (barring the first match) missed the whole season of the IPL.

In a better shape now, Jadhav is focused on working more harder on this aspect of the game as well. “I don’t have it in my mind that I will get injured again. In the last four months, I’ve learnt a lot about training and fitness, and it has definitely made me a better cricketer.

“Previously, when I got injured and underwent rehab, I would take it easy and feel I’m fit and there’s no chance of an injury. Many times, I skipped my routines as a result. But after the third injury, regardless of how I feel, every day I start my day with training: both gym and running. So that gives me confidence that I’m getting stronger and fitter every day, and that helps me on the field”, said Jadhav.