"It was great to see someone take a great catch off my bowling for once" - Jadeja on Kohli's stunning take at second slip during 1st ODI against WI 

Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja praised Virat Kohli's sharp reflex catch off his bowling at second slip during the first ODI against West Indies at Kensington Oval, Barbados on Thursday, July 27. The Men in Blue put in a dominant display to win the contest by five wickets and claim a 1-0 lead in the series.

After electing to bowl first, Team India made an early breakthrough with the new ball. All-rounder Hardik Pandya dismissed Kyle Mayers while Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial hand in giving Mukesh Kumar his maiden ODI wicket. The spin-bowling all-rounder took an acrobatic catch at backward point to dismiss Alick Athanaze in the eighth over.

Jadeja was introduced into the attack in the 12th over, where he conceded nine runs to begin with. He then conceded 11 runs in his next over, before making a comeback by dismissing Shimron Hetmyer. The left-arm spinner struck twice in the 18th over with similar dismissals, the second one involving a brilliant catch by Kohli.

Joking that it is about time that someone took a great catch off his bowling, Jadeja said in an interaction with Kuldeep Yadav released by the BCCI:

"Every time I take good catches off other people's bowling, it was great to see someone take a great catch off my bowling for once. It was a great catch by Virat, it kept low and he had to be sharp. He barely had any time to react, so it was a good take. If the bowler has the fielder's support on these types of pitches, then their confidence is really boosted. "

Jadeja ended up with figures of 3-37 off his six overs as India bowled out the hosts for a paltry 114 in just 23 overs. The Men in Blue had a few hiccups with their revamped batting order but crossed the line comfortably with five wickets in hand.

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"Our priority was to not concede runs" - Ravindra Jadeja on bowling with his 'hunting' partner Kuldeep Yadav

While Ravindra Jadeja took care of the middle-order batters in quick time. it was left-arm wrist bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who applied the finishing touches. The spinner ran through the remainder of the West Indies unit with a brisk four-over spell that resulted in four wickets as well.

He was adjudged as player of the match for his exploits as he continues to make a strong case for himself in the first-choice playing XI.

Jadeja spoke about how they planned their bowling on a surface that aided spin bowling. He said:

"There was a lot of spin on offer from the wicket, so when one spinner starts bowling, the other gets an idea about how much the ball is gripping and bouncing and the right length to bowl as well."

He continued:

"Our priority was to not concede runs, because as we even saw in the second innings, it was difficult to score as the ball was turning a lot and not coming onto the bat. Like they say 'hunt in pairs', I think we did the same with the ball."

Team India is scheduled to play the second ODI at the same venue in Kensington Oval, Barbados. The Rohit Sharma-led team has attained a 1-0 lead in the series and will be looking to continue preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup.