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Jadhav credits Dhoni for his game-changing spell against Bangladesh

by Sandeep Shivam Friday 16 June 2017

Kedar Jadhav (centre) celebrating the wicket of Tamim Iqbal along with his team-mates in semi-final

©REUTERS

India's Kedar Jadhav credited former captain MS Dhoni for his game changing spell against Bangladesh in the recently concluded Champions Trophy game at Edgbaston.

With a 123 run stand for the third wicket between Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh were going strong and looked like a 300+ score was on the cards.

However, Jadhav, a part-time off-spin bowler, not just applied the brakes on the scoring rate but picked both Tamim and Rahim in his six-over spell during which he registered figures of 22 for two following which Bangladesh lost momentum and eventually were restricted to 264 for seven in the 50 overs.

The 32-year-old, who is not a regular in the bowling department lavished praise on Dhoni for helping him read the batsmen.

"Since I’ve been in the team I have spent a lot of time with MS and I tried to learn as much as I can from him and he provides me with all the knowledge that he has.

"Even while I am bowling he is looking at me and from his eyes only I can tell what he wants me to bowl.

"It was one of those days where I could read them very well and I was able to execute what I wanted to do.

"If batsmen try to score big shots against me they find it difficult."

The target did not prove any challenge for the Indian batsmen as they completed the chase in the 41st over, riding on an unbeaten 123 from Rohit Sharma and 96 from Virat Kohli.

India captain Kohli said the decision to bowl Jadhav at that stage was taken after discussion with Dhoni.

"The wickets were honestly a bonus, Hardik (Pandya) went for a few in his first three, so we wanted to give him a bit of a break and cover up overs through Kedar, and with one left-hander batting, we knew that he had the ability to get in two, three, dot balls to the left-hander every over.

"But it ended up changing the whole game for us,.

"I won't take the whole credit. Obviously I asked MS, as well, and we both decided that Kedar is a good option at that moment, and he bowled really well.

India will now take on Pakistan in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy at The Oval on Sunday.