Journalism of Courage
Dheeraj Jadhav never gets tired of scoring runs. The 33-year-old,who is in the city to play for IPL franchise Pune Warriors,says scoring is something of a challenge he sets for himself. When I score some runs in the first match,I challenge myself to go and get some more in the next. Its a rather handy method of motivating myself, says the man who has 6,503 runs from 88 First Class matches.
The 2012-13 Ranji season began on a run-filled note for Jadhav. The southpaw who plies his trade for Assam in Indias premier domestic competition,began the tournament with a double century (243) against Tripura in Guwahati and followed that up with a sparkling 98 against Kerala,a knock that ensured Assam got the all-important first innings points. These were just two of the many important knocks Jadhav played for Assam in a season where he scored 672 in 16 innings. What made the runs even more special was that the left-hander battled through the pain of a thumb injury he sustained during the first match,but did not withdraw from the squad.
Jadhav who is from Pune,formerly played for Maharashtra and scored 2,890 runs in 35 matches before joining the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL). Jadhav was also part of Indias national squad for the fourth and final test during Australias tour of India in 2004.
However,since then Jadhav has been summarily ignored by national selectors in spite of having scored 3,821 runs in 52 matches with 13 centuries. The 33-year-old says no amount of head-scratching has helped him fathom the reason for his exclusion. I was dropped from the Indian team without getting a game. Other than me,the entire squad was retained for the Bangladesh tour. I have been scoring runs every season,batting well on every type of track but I dont get the recognition, he says.
At 33,Jadhav knows time is running out for him but he says the fighter in him just does not want to give up. At my age I know its difficult to get a chance in our system. However,I take belief from the fact that many players who were in their thirties came into the team and performed well. I am confident of playing for the next two years and with the scoring touch I am in,I am hopeful of a chance, he says.
Jadhav who has been part of the Pune Warriors for the last three seasons is also hopeful of getting a chance to prove himself in the IPL. I played good T20 for Assam. I scored runs consistently and even though my strike rate is low,I manage to keep the scoreboard ticking. I just feel that after sitting on the bench for two years,I deserve a chance to play in the tournament, he says.
Jadhav also admits that maybe a few cricketing decisions he himself made since his debut in 1999 might have played a part in this absence from national cricket. But he is quick to say that joining ICL is something he does not regret. Sandeep Patil approached me with the idea of playing in the ICL. Patil had always been a great pillar of support and I had done well under him during India A tours and I accepted the offer immediately. ICL had some great players and it was a good place to play the game, he says.
The wizened professional says that at the end of the day,it is the satisfaction of having helped out his team that keeps him going. At Assam,they really depend on me to score and I like that responsibility. Also the satisfaction of scoring big runs every season is something that will keep me going, he says. Jadhav also says that the satisfaction of seeing the team grow under him is a very comforting feeling. Assam have been steadily improving over the past few years. We reached the final of Vijay Hazare trophy this year and have been consistently playing well in Ranji. The future has good things in store for Assam, he says.
