Emergence of Kedar Jadhav as reliable lower middle-order batsman will surely lessen skipper Virat Kohli’s headache as India goes into preparation mode for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, which will be held in England in June.
“Jadhav is a brilliant find for us. We have backed him over the last year, he hasn't had many games, but he is coming into his own, he gives Yuvraj and Dhoni the chance to bat higher and he reads the game well. It is priceless.” Kohli said when asked about Jadhav’s performance in the just-concluded ODI series.
Jadhav has been consistently proving himself in the Ranji Trophy for Maharashtra, and also impressed everyone with his calculated aggression in the IPL. The 31-year-old has given enough examples that he has the mettle to handle pressure.
He took everyone by surprise with his bowling against New Zealand, but in the series against England, he has come into his own with the bat. He got his maiden century in Pune, and almost single handedly won the game for India in Kolkata, while chasing a score of over 300, and that too when the team had lost the experienced heads of Dhoni, Kohli and Yuvraj.
He might not be the strongest player around, but it’s his timing and ability to read the match situation which gives him the edge over other batsmen vying for that position – Manish Pandey has looked out of place in the couple of chances given to him, and Suresh Raina’s weakness against short ball is now well known to everyone.
Comparison: Raina and Jadhav batting at No.6
The fact that Jadhav can pitch in a few overs with the ball in the middle is an added advantage for Kohli.
Former opener Sunil Gavaskar too praised Jadhav. "He is a finisher and looking good at No. 6. I think India have found a gem in that position," Gavaskar was quoted saying by NDTV .
No doubt tougher challenges will come ahead, starting with the Champions Trophy, where he will be playing in different conditions, and also handling more pressure. But, so far he has shown that he is more than ready for the battle.
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