Wearing the brand new Indian team jersey, Kedar Jadhav played an unbeaten 87-ball 81 knock, laced with nine fours and a six to guide India past the finishing line as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the five match series, which is their last before the World Cup in May.
Jadhav feels that it's "payback time" for all the faith that his captain Virat Kohli and the team management showed in him whenever he has had injury issues.
Jadhav has had multiple breakdown due to a dodgy hamstring which also included a near six month lay-off due to a surgery.
"Obviously, the kind of confidence they have given has helped me deliver consistently. Credit goes to the captain and management for backing me in my difficult times and this is my time that I pay back to the confidence and faith they have shown in my difficult times," said Jadhav.
"Everybody has been encouraging towards me irrespective of how many times I have got injured you know. Every time I have got fit, I have walked into the team. That is the kind of confidence that the team management has in me," he spoke with a lot of gratitude.
The Maharashtra all-rounder said that the team management has already specified him that he is their designated "finisher at No 6".
"It's more than one and half or two years that I have been batting at this number (No 6). I still remember in January, 2017 against England in India, I batted at No 6 only and got Man of the Series," he said.
"From thereon, the team management has been looking at me as a finisher. They have clearly told me that you will be batting at No 6 till the time you are there. So the management and team had been clear about everybody's role and everybody is clear about what is expected of individual players."