The left arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav has always been a vital cog in the white ball circuit for India being India’s premier spinner in the same. However in test cricket Kuldeep Yadav played his last game in Indian whites when India toured Bangladesh early in 2022 . In the first test match at Chattogram Kuldeep grabbed 8 wickets to get Man of the Match award only to be out of the test cricket for next one year as a result of coach Rahul Dravid’s workload management tactics to keep Kuldeep Yadav as a pure white ball bowler.
However this did not have Kuldeep Yadav low on confidence as he when got his chance versus England grabbed the opportunity with both hands to register figures of 3 for 71 in 17 overs which helped Jasprit Bumrah who wrecked havoc in the English camp with his decisive spell. Infact Kuldeep started the English fall after he grabbed Ben Duckett to break the opening stand of 59 runs for England which seemed to have been running away with the scorecard during that time.
Kuldeep Yadav on Indian pitches
Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav has reacted to the attacking approach of England team on Indian wickets which normally suits the spinners in his own way stating that it keeps him and generally the bowlers involved in the game all the time. He conceded runs at an economy of 4.2 and 4 in both innings of the second Test in Visakhapatnam while picking a total of four wickets. However, the left-arm wrist spinner doesn’t mind the batters attacking him and relishes the challenge all the time.
Kuldeep Yadav made a comeback to Test cricket for the first time since December 2022. Despite picking eight wickets and Player of the match award vs Bangladesh in the first test way back in 2022 , he had to warm the bench given India’s combination and the presence of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the line-up atleast in red ball cricket.
There is a lot of talk around the pitches whenever a Test match is played in India but this time around, the pitches have been very good in Hyderabad and Vizag. Having said that, Kuldeep doesn’t mind playing on any kind of surface as long as he is playing Tests. However, he also highlighted the importance of pitches being good in Test matches.
Kuldeep Yadav’s take on India’s team combination
India’s team combination has dominated headlines in the lead-up to the 3rd Test against England in Rajkot. The two teams enjoyed a 6-day break after the second Test, but both teams had injury woes that came to light during the time off.
While left-arm spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the remainder of the series, India were dealt with an injury blow on Monday as star batter KL Rahul was ruled out of the 3rd Test, further weakening the side which is without Virat Kohli. Shreyas Iyer was also left out of the squad for the remainder of the series.
All eyes will be on Ravindra Jadeja’s availability as the senior spinner, who is also a capable batter, missed the second Test due to a hamstring strain. Jadeja was included in the squad for the remainder of the series and the all-rounder was seen training with the rest of the team on Tuesday.
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel might compete for a spot if India decide to pick only three spinners for the 3rd Test. India are likely to play Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj after the latter returned to the squad for the last 3 Tests.
However Kuldeep Yadav has described on his experience about playing versus England who has an unique Bazball tactics in any playing conditions and his process to counter it.
As a spinner you are more focused on the game- Kuldeep Yadav
India’s left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav believes that bowling against England’s ultra-attacking Bazball approach in Test cricket has been a new challenge for many bowlers, including himself.
However, Kuldeep feels that England’s attacking cricket also ensures that, as a bowler, he doesn’t get complacent and remains fully focused on every delivery that he bowls.
Speaking to the reporters on the eve of the third Test, here’s what Kuldeep Yadav had to say about England’s approach:
“In Test cricket, you are not used to having someone with such an attacking batting approach. As a spinner you are more focused on the game, how you are going to bowl and what your approach will be. Sometimes in Test cricket, you are not overly worried if the batter would attack much and you focus on how to dismiss them.”
Kuldeep opined that the more the batters attack, the more the bowlers stay in the game as there’s always a possibility of them inducing a false shot leading to a wicket.
Kuldeep Yadav on lack of experience in Indian batting
With KL Rahul being ruled out of the third Test in Rajkot due to a quadriceps injury, India’s batting line-up looks highly inexperienced. Shubman Gill with just 22 Tests is the second-most experienced batter.
However, Kuldeep Yadav believes it is an opportunity for others to step up and make use of the experience they have gained in domestic cricket. On this, he stated:
“That gives a chance to a newcomer who can get the opportunity. I am sure they have done really well in domestic cricket and it is their time to show what they have got. It is good for Indian cricket and for the individuals as well.”
With Shreyas Iyer being dropped from the squad, Sarfaraz Khan could finally make his Test debut in Rajkot. India may also hand a debut cap to young Dhruv Jurel after KS Bharat failed to impress in the first two Tests. This means after 1-1 both the teams will find to make their mark in order to keep the series interesting from the third test at Rajkot starting from February 15 2024.