Captain Backed Me In Tough Phase, Time To Repay Faith: Kedar Jadhav

Virat Kohli has backed him to the hilt whenever he has had injury issues and Kedar Jadhav feels that it's time to repay the "confidence and faith" shown in him by Indian skipper Virat Kohli and the team management. Kedar 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.

Jadhav's 81 not out along with MS Dhoni's unbeaten 59 powered India to a six-wicket victory against Australia in the first ODI in Hyderabad.

"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," added Man of the Match Kedar Jadhav.

The 33-year-old Maharashtra all-rounder said that the team management has already specified to 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 and got the Man of the Series," he said.

"From thereon, 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."

The comprehensive win gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Virat Kohli Kedar Jadhav MS Dhoni India vs Australia, 2018/19 Cricket