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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

June 22, 2019

Kedar Jadhav

Southampton, England, UK

India - 224/8 (50), Afghanistan - 213 (49.5)

Q. Kedar, congrats for the win. What was going through the team's collective mind when Nabi was batting and Rashid was also there? Ten wickets were down, and the chase seemed possible at that time.
KEDAR JADHAV: Obviously, we had belief in our death specialist bowlers. Obviously, Bumrah is Number 1 bowler. We knew we had just one wicket to break that partnership, and the next batsman would be finding it difficult to score those runs in that scenario. So we knew just one wicket away from that crucial win.

Q. Kedar, just tell us how was the pitch overall, and you and MS, when you guys were playing, how difficult it was to accelerate considering taking the pitch into account?
KEDAR JADHAV: I guess the wicket was slow outside, and especially they were playing with three, almost four spinners, and the ball was little turning when we were playing, and it was slow. So it was difficult to play shots. When the wicket is such, you need to analyze what sort of score we are looking at. So our actual plan was to look for around 250. 250, 260, we were targeting, but we fell short by 20, 30 runs. So going into the fielding, we knew that we have to make up those 15, 20 runs in fielding. Obviously, credit to the bowlers that they defended this small total.

Q. Kedar, not often do you get to play so many deliveries. How difficult does it become for a batsman when you're coming at a stage where you have to perform? And how challenging was the situation?
KEDAR JADHAV: The most difficult part is to wait for your turn, and it's like you hardly get to bat such many deliveries once in a tournament. Like I played in a series for India, and the moment like our top order has been very good since last four years. So it's very less time we get to spend in the middle when everything is going on, but today it was a conscious effort to get some balls for me also. So that's why I was batted at Number 6.To be able to score runs and get what your team is needing, you need to give yourself time because then you cannot ask again. You know the time was not there when you actually get the time. So it was important to use those many balls to get set, and then you choose your bowlers and choose your areas. According to the team plans, you obviously know in the back of your mind what target you're looking for, and you try to plan your innings for that.

Q. Kedar, you have been in quite a few matches in which the match got decided either with the last ball or last over. Compared to that, how do you describe Shami's final over? When first delivery went for a four, what were the team thinking? What was the team planning?
KEDAR JADHAV: Like I already said, we had belief in both our fast bowlers to do the job for us in the death. One boundary hit in there in the death will go, either with the good shot or with the edge or anything. That's always there. But how good you come back and finish your over or the rest of the delivery, that's what's important.

That's what Shami did today. After getting hit for the first ball, the second ball here he got a wicket, and then again he kept on picking those wickets. That's what the character comes into play.

Q. Kedar, from the outside it looked as if the pitch had become better to bat in the second half, and that's what the Afghan captain said as well. So was the decision to bat first a conscious one so that you and some of the other batsmen who had spent time could bat?
KEDAR JADHAV: No, I don't think it was a conscious effort. You know, just to get a few batters some time in the middle. We just felt that it was a good batting wicket, but it played slightly slower on the first half. That's what I'll say.

Q. Kedar, you won't know the numbers, but I think this is one of the India's slowest, what do you say, innings in the second half after the first 25 overs since last World Cup. There's been a lot of times -- maybe not a lot of times, a few times where the middle order has kind of been shaky, but the ball pressure has increased. How do you as a batsman, for example, if you can talk about today, the discussion between you and Dhoni, regardless of the pitch and the spinners, what was it about?
KEDAR JADHAV: Like I've already said in the past that I tried to learn a lot from how Dhoni bats. So when I went into the bat, I felt like the wicket is not that flat on the flatter side that you can play your shots, you know. The ball was not coming that easily on the bat, so we had to take our time. And then, obviously, they had almost two, three quality spinners, so that doesn't help when the wicket is slow and you're trying to hit the ball.

So we had to adapt to the situation, and like I said, we were planning to get around 250 or 260 at the end of the 50 overs, but we fell short by 20, 30 runs. Like I think we can definitely improve this, but I don't see any other team having like three to four quality spinners and playing 11.

Q. Hi, Kedar. Congratulations on the win. Everyone is foreseeing India and England as the final. England lost yesterday, and we obviously won today. How do you see the 30th of June as the match against England and you?
KEDAR JADHAV: 30th of June is almost a week from now. There's one more game before that. As a team, we've always been thoughtful of what is coming next instead of thinking what is coming after ten days? So our next focus is on our West Indies game, and obviously the kind of momentum we're having would like to keep on this and try to improve as we can. Thank you.

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