India vs Australia: When Virat Kohli helped Kedar Jadhav to hit Adam Zampa for a boundary

Kohli’s words that were meant to keep Jadhav patient, were caught on the stump mic.

Published - 09 Mar 2019, 15:10 IST | Updated - 09 Mar 2019, 15:10 IST

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MS Dhoni making use of his years of experience to give valuable input to bowlers by anticipating the batsman’s mind is not new to learn about. But a glimpse of India captain Virat Kohli also executing the same to make it easier for a younger batting partner was visible during the third India-Australia ODI in Ranchi on Friday. For the fans keeping in-depth knowledge of cricket, it would also rekindle the memory of Pakistani legend Javed Miandad who used to apply tricks at the non-striker’s end to guide the batsman at strike about the probable next delivery – which way would it swing.

In Ranchi, Kohli (123) was waging a lone battle while chasing the Australian total of 313 for 5 as the top-order could contribute little. After losing three early wickets, he forged two key partnerships – 59 runs with Dhoni (26) and 88 runs with Kedar Jadhav (26) to keep India on track. It was during his partnership with Jadhav when Kohli, standing at the non-striker’s end, gave inputs to his partner about leg-spinner Adam Zampa’s bowling.

He will bowl short, Kohli told Jadhav

As Zampa accelerated the mind game and threatened with full balls, the Indian batsmen were finding it hard to hit him away. Jadhav, too, was finding it challenging and it was then Kohli who tried to ease the pressure from the non-striker’s end in the 25th over by telling the batsman in Hindi: “Ye picche bhi dega ball” (the bowler would bowl some short stuff as well).

Kohli’s words that were meant to keep Jadhav patient, were caught on the stump mic. The captain’s prediction came true as Zampa bowled a delivery short of a good length and Jadhav went after it to hit a four in the mid-wicket region. In his playing days, Miandad used to hold his bat in either of his hands to signal to the batsman which way the ball would swing. With experience, Kohli seems to be on the way to become another clever tactician of the game.

Zampa though had the last laugh as he picked both Jadhav and Virat Kohli after Dhoni to put the Indian chase under a check and the hosts eventually lost by 32 runs, allowing Australia to keep themselves alive in the series.