Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was on song in the final ODI of the three-match series against Australia on Wednesday. Jadeja scored an unbeaten 66 in the first innings and played a key role in taking India's total to 302/5 in 50 overs, before taking the key wicket of Aaron Finch in Australia's run-chase.
Jadeja came to bat when India feared a batting collapse, with captain Virat Kohli departing as the side's fifth wicket. India'were at 152/5 when Jadeja joined Pandya, and the duo added 150 runs for the sixth wicket.
Jadeja started his innings slowly but picked up pace during the ending stages. The duo scored 10+ runs in all of the last five overs of the match.
Talking about his batting in a post-match interview, Jadeja said he followed MS Dhoni's pattern in shaping the innings.
"Mahi bhai has played so much cricket for India and Chennai (CSK). He always had a set pattern. He would go in and look to build a partnership with the batsman. He always used to het himself set and look to play the big shots. He has played in such situations so many times,” Jadeja told Sony SIX.
“By looking at him and given the fact that I have batted with him so many times, he always used to tell me that if we can take it till the last then we can score a lot of runs in the final four-five overs,” Jadeja added.
“It was the same situation and that is what he tried to do today. Hardik and I were discussing that we can take a chance in the last few overs. The boundary was smaller on one side so that was the plan.”
During the conversation, Jadeja and the interviewers (Virender Sehwag and Ajay Jadeja) also engaged in banter. Towards the ending part of the interview, Yuzvendra Chahal made a cameo, saying that he has to interview Jadeja too (presumably for 'Chahal TV').
To this, Sehwag calls him, "Sookha Bodyguard (Lanky Bodyguard)," as everyone begins to laugh.
