HYDERABAD: Kedar Jadhav Saturday said batting with Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a learning experience after the duo led India to a six-wicket win over Australia in the first one-day international.
Jadhav, top-scoring with 81, and Dhoni, batting on 59, put on an unbeaten 141-run stand as the hosts achieved their target of 237 with 10 balls to spare in Hyderabad and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The pair registered their second successive century stand against Australia in ODIs after India were in trouble at 99 for four with paceman Nathan Coulter Nile and leg-spinner Adam Zampa taking two wickets each.
“Recently in Australia, we put up a similar kind of chase. When you have Mahibhai (Dhoni)at the other end, you don’t have to worry about a lot,” Jadhav, who also took a wicket with his spin bowling, said after receiving the man of the match award.
“Nobody better than him in the middle to learn the game from. We are looking forward to every game, and we learn from our captain (Virat Kohli) that we need to keep our intensity up.”
India’s pace spearhead Mohammed Shami also made it count with figures of 2-44 to restrict Australia to 236 for seven after they elected to bat first.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav and paceman Jasprit Bumrah also took two wickets each to set up victory for the hosts who recently lost a two-match Twenty20 series 2-0 against the visitors.
Rohit Sharma, who made 37, and Kohli, who scored 44, set up the chase during their partnership of 76 after India lost Shikhar Dhawan for nought.
Coulter-Nile and Zampa then combined to dent the opposition chase with three strikes in the space of eight overs.
But Dhoni and Jadhav, who hit 9 fours and 1 six in 87 balls, mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to thwart the Aussie bowling on what seemed like a sluggish pitch.
Jadhav completed his fifty in 67 deliveries but it was Dhoni’s 71st ODI half-century that brought the packed house on its feet to applaud another match-winning knock from the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman.
Earlier Australia suffered an early blow when skipper Aaron Finch was dismissed for nought in his 100th ODI. He was caught behind off Bumrah in the second over.
Usman Khawaja top-scored with 50 while the in-form Glenn Maxwell made 40 off 51 deliveries in an otherwise ordinary show by the Australian batting.
Maxwell threatened to disrupt the hosts’ plans but skipper Virat Kohli’s move to bring back pace spearhead Shami in the 36th over paid off.
Shami bowled debutant Ashton Turner and Maxwell — who had hit an unbeaten 113 in the second T20 on Wednesday — in quick succession to dent Australia’s chances of putting up a big total.
“The way Shami has come into the white-ball set-up after his Test performances, have never seen him so lean. He has lost 5-6 kgs. He’s running in and bowling so well,” said Kohli.
“Got Maxi out with a beautiful ball. He has wicket-taking ability and he’s hungry for wickets. Heading into the World Cup, it’s a great sign for team India.”
The second ODI is scheduled for Nagpur on Tuesday.
