India vs Australia 2019: MS Dhoni has the knack of bringing the best out of every one, says Kedar Jadhav
What's the story?
Kedar Jadhav produced one of his best innings in international cricket and won the Man of the Match award against Australia in the 1st ODI. He lauded MS Dhoni's role, who helped him grow as a better finisher.
In case you didn't know...
India had a perfect first ODI, as they got an opportunity to test their middle order, and they did exceedingly well. At one stage India were reeling at 99/4, chasing 238 on a tricky wicket. Dhoni and Jadhav played according to the situation and built a match winning partnership. Here is what he said at the post conference:
"Every time I bat with him [Dhoni] and I spend time with him, I learn a lot. I can't put it out in words. Every time I see Mahi bhai, I feel very confident. That sort of aura is like, that you see him and feel that 'I will deliver today'. He has the knack of getting the best out of every player and that's what everybody loves about him."
The heart of the matter
Jadhav also revealed the key discussion that happened with Dhoni in the middle of the innings and how it helped to come out on top. He further added:
"The thing is, me and Mahi bhai have plans in our heads. We bat according to that plan. And the plan was to not give him [Zampa] a wicket because he was looking like one bowler who can take wickets. We need to give respect to him if he is bowling well. Obviously, he bowled well, bowled in the right areas with good speeds and good variations, so we had to give that respect "
Dhoni and Jadhav had a perfect partnership, where Jadhav took the risk of playing more shots and Dhoni played the second fiddle. It worked out really well, and India came out on top despite losing the top order early.
"Out of both of us, one has to take the risk . I have batted throughout my career at No. 4, so I'm more open to play all the shots. Growing up, I've always built my batting playing shots. When playing shots, trying some innovative shots, I feel I have a good chance of converting those innovative shots. Mahi bhai sticks to his natural game - hitting down the ground. As long as he's there, the other teams always feels the pressure."
What's next?
The second ODI between and Australia will be played on Tuesday, and a confident India would look to go 2-0 up in the series.