Kedar Jadhav, the pride of Pune

PUNE: “Chasing 350 was a team effort. But if you want to give credit to one person, it should be Kedar Jadhav.”
India captain Virat Kohli summed up the feeling of a capacity 30,000-plus crowd who were treated to a century of poise and panache by the Maharashtra middle-order batsman. Jadhav's 120 off 76 balls with 12 fours and four sixes gave Kohli (122) a dream partner in a 200-run stand that floored England and lifted the spectators.
Jadhav, 31, playing his 13th ODI, gave the audience some of the best moments of the day when he drove straight; over extra cover; into the long-on stands and completed his well-deserved second ODI hundred with a gentle slap past third-man.And yes, there was a delectable late cut too.
A late bloomer in international cricket has added another fascinating chapter to his cricketing graph. “He was playing so well. I didn't want to disturb him with unnecessary advice,” said Kohli.
Jadhav became the first Maharashtra player to play an ODI in front of home spectators. And he made it count with a rousing hundred that swelled Pune's heart. “He was not slogging. He was playing proper cricketing shots without taking any risk and scoring at the strike rate of 150,” Kohli added. “It was an outstanding knock. He was willing to believe that we can win from any situation. We had chased big totals earlier. But not from 63/4. It's only when he was cramping, I was pushing him and asked him to forget that part and concentrate on playing.”
Kohli said Jadhav tackled pacers well and didn't allow spinners to play a role in the match with calculative attack. “That's why we back him at No. 6.”
Kohli said Jadhav rued his failure with the bat in the ODIs against New Zealand despite having his chances. “But I told him not to think too much about it and deliver in the middle. It's not necessary that you can learn only after playing 50-60 games. You can also learn quickly if you want to.”