Virat Kohli, who captained India in the Just-concluded one-day series in Zimbabwe, Wednesday lauded the all-round performance of Ravindra Jadeja, who has climbed to the top spot in the ICC One-Day International (ODI) bowlers rankings.
Jadeja jumped four places in the rankings Sunday after his showing in Zimbabwe, making him the first Indian to become the No.1 bowler in the world since Anil Kumble in December 1996. Overall, the left-armer is the fourth Indian after Kapil Dev (March 1989), Maninder Singh (December 1987-November 1988) and Kumble to claim the top spot.
"I am not surprised, to be honest. He has made huge strides in international cricket specially in the ODIs. In the last one or two years he has really been consistent with his bowling. Plus he chips in with the bat every time the team needs," Kohli told IANS on the sidelines of a promotional event here at the Talkatora Stadium.
"I am really happy for Jadeja that he is the No.1 bowler in the world and he deserves it. He is one of those guys who will always make something happen on the field. When he comes on to bowl, he will probably get you the breakthrough or just control the run flow straightaway. He has made a huge impact on our ODI victories," the 24-year-old said.
Kohli, designated for the first time as captain for the entire Zimbabwe series, thanked regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his tips.
"I spoke a lot to Dhoni about how to keep my composure in difficult situations. I have seen him and he does not react at all, it is a very hard thing for a captain and I tried to learn as much as I could from him. I spoke to him about field placings, when to control a certain situation in a match, when to go defensive and when on the attack," added the Delhiite.
"I observe him a lot when I am standing with him on the field. I notice what he tries to do with his bowlers and field placements. I have really learnt a lot from him and it has really helped me in leading the side."
Asked if India was vindicated on resisting the Decision Review System (DRS) seeing the spate of controveries in the Ashes, Kohli said: "Definitely, you have seen how many decisions have gone wrong because of technology, which is not 100 percent fool-proof yet. Lot of people are in favour of DRS and many do not like it. But I would rather be given out by an umpire and just walk away in disappointment rather than having reviews and seeing that I am not out and still being given out. That disturbs a player mentally much more than an umpire giving a normal decision."