DUBAI: Kedar Jadhav’s part-time spin might be his ticket to next year’s World Cup in England but the 33-year-old Indian batsman admits he is reluctant to work too hard on improving as a bowler.

Then captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni first persuaded the unorthodox middle-order batsman to roll his arm over in an One-day International against New Zealand in 2016 and he picked up two wickets for six runs in three overs.

On Wednesday, Jadhav returned his best ODI bowling figures of 3-23 in the Asia Cup clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, his nine overs of off-spin snuffing out Pakistan’s hopes of a competitive total.

“Honestly, I bowl one or two overs before the match during the practice session,” he told reporters after India’s eight-wicket victory over their arch rivals. “I don’t bowl much at the nets. I feel if I try too hard to become a bowler, I will lose whatever I have. So I stay within limits.”

With openers and regular captain Virat Kohli occupying the top three spots and wicket-keeper Dhoni a floating option in the batting order, a number of players have auditioned for the middle order over the last couple of years.

Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik and Jadhav himself have all had a crack but none has managed to nail down a spot.

Barring the virtuoso Raina, though, only Jadhav can offer a contribution with the ball to go along with his batting.

Jadhav’s unique slingshot action makes it difficult for batsmen to pick and with his subtle change of pace and trajectory, the Maharashtra cricketer has proved a useful option for the captain.

Against Pakistan on Wednes­day, stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma would have been worried when all-rounder Hardik Pandya left the field on a stretcher due to a back injury in his fifth over but Jadhav stepped in and did a stellar job.

“My bowling is all about trying to read the batsman, my plan is to bowl stump to stump,” Jadhav added.

Jadhav, who has scored two centuries and three half centuries in 42 ODIs, missed most of the 2018 Indian Premier League with a hamstring tear, which also kept him out of the limited-overs series in England.

He needed surgery on the injury and believes he has returned fitter and stronger.

“In the last six months, I’ve been injured more than three times on my left hamstring. After the IPL, again I got injured, so we decided to go for surgery,” he said.

“I feel after the surgery it has definitely helped me fitness wise ... In the last four months, I’ve learnt a lot about training and fitness, and it has definitely made me a different cricketer.”

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018

Opinion

The Dar story continues

The Dar story continues

One wonders what the rationale was for the foreign minister — a highly demanding, full-time job — being assigned various other political responsibilities.

Editorial

Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.
All this talk
Updated 30 Apr, 2024

All this talk

The other parties are equally legitimate stakeholders in the country’s political future, and it must give them due consideration.
Monetary policy
30 Apr, 2024

Monetary policy

ALIGNING its decision with the trend in developed economies, the State Bank has acted wisely by holding its key...
Meaningless appointment
30 Apr, 2024

Meaningless appointment

THE PML-N’s policy of ‘family first’ has once again triggered criticism. The party’s latest move in this...