Kedar Jadhav has had to wait a long time to make his international debut. But the 31-year old is now making up for the late start with his all-round abilities.
On Monday, on the sidelines of the Ranji game against Assam, the Maharashtra cricketer spoke about his multi-tasking ability, his role in the national side and more.
Excerpts...
You have not bowled a lot in domestic cricket. So whose idea was it to get you to bowl in the ODIs?
Obviously, it was M.S. Dhoni’s decision to bowl me. After the first game (against New Zealand), where I took two wickets, I became more confident in bowling. From then on it was about taking the responsibility from part-time to all-rounder’s role. I enjoyed bowling at that level. It’s something which I have to keep working on.
You have also kept wickets in the IPL. How did you learn these skills?
I have played too much of gully cricket (tennis ball) where I used to play as a professional in Pune. If you play as a pro, you are expected to do everything. Once your bowling quota is over, you have to go and keep. That is where I have learnt all the skills.
Once you started playing professional cricket and you get out early, you don’t have anything to do the same day. Instead of sitting and batting again at the nets, you bowl to some other batsmen or keep wickets trying different things. You enjoy as well as learn every day.
It was around 2010-2011, during a club game, I got bored. I asked my keeper to give me the gloves and I got two or three catches. That’s how I began keeping. When I told my IPL franchisee that I can also keep, they saw me in a practice game and were happy.
Do you think you can be the finisher for the national side?
I can be. For the last two to three years, whenever I have played in India-A games, the selectors have always wanted me to bat at five or six, which is a finisher’s kind of role. So I’m used to it and obviously, in the national side also, I’m batting at six now. It suits my style as to go and play my shots.
Your debut came a bit late. Did you, at any point, think you may not play at the highest level, and what was the turning point in your career?
I never thought that I wouldn’t be playing for the country. But one thing I knew in my life was I never got anything very quickly or easily. But once I got it, it hasn’t gone away from me. It is not just about playing but winning games for the country. The 2013-2014 season, where I scored 1200 runs, was when I felt I would get my chance.
