On the day he celebrated another year of life, Kuldeep Yadav, the talented Indian spinner made his day even more memorable by picking a fifer in the final T20I against South Africa. The Chinaman registered his best figures in T20 cricket giving away just 17 runs for her 5 wickets. Kuldeep Yadav‘s spell helped India win the final T20I and level the series 1-1.
Opting to bowl first Indian batters dominated the proceedings, playing some scintillating shots and scoring a good rate. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a fluent fifty and Skipper Suryakumar Yadav scored an explosive century as Team India finished on 201-7. Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with bowling figures of 4-0-26-2 which included a twin blow in the 3rd over.
Opening Burst
The Indian opening bowlers provided the team a good start removing the South African Openers. All three pacers bowled brilliantly hitting great lines and forcing the South African Batsmen to play false shots. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav was injured stopping a ball and left the field in the powerplay. Standin’ Captain Jadeja brought himself into the attack in picked the wicket of South African Skipper Aiden Markram. Jadeja made a decision that many Indian fans were waiting to see by giving the 6th bowling option Tilak Varma an over.
Kuldeep Yadav’s birthday brilliance
Kuldeep Yadav came into attack late in the 10th over but has made the most of the available opportunity. With the ball keeping low and spinning a bit Kuldeep bowled Donovan Ferreira and Keshav Maharaj with balls turning into the right-handers. Kuldeep had to deal with the tail mostly and he pulled all his tricks out fooling the batsmen and outfoxing them completely. He picked his final 4 wickets in 6 balls showcasing not just his skill but also his understanding of the game on how to bowl in that particular situation.
An Unforgettable Birthday
The senior bowler turned 29 yesterday and made this unforgettable picking the best figures by a bowler on their Birthday. He also became only the second Indian bowler after Bhuvneshwar Kumar to have multiple five-wicket hauls in the T20I format. He also became the only Indian to pick two fifers in SENA countries.
I think it was Surya Bhai’s batting. That was the biggest gift- Kuldeep Yadav
Interacting with media after India’s victory spinner Kuldeep said that SKY’s batting was the biggest gift he received. Answering a reporter’s question about choosing the best gift (wickets) among his five Kuldeep said,
“I think it was Surya bhai’s batting. That was the biggest gift. He batted brilliantly. The way he was batting was great to watch because the pitch was not that easy for batting. It was really a treat to watch him bat,” Kuldeep added.
“It turned out to be a special day. I have never thought about taking five wickets. I just wanted the team to win which is more important,” Kuldeep said in the post-match press conference after returning with figures of 5/17 as India beat SA by 106 runs to help India finish the three-match T20 series levelled at 1-1.
“I was concerned about my bowling because I was playing after some time, so wanted to get my rhythm. It was perfect today. The ball was coming out well from the hand and the conditions too suited the spinners a bit.” he concluded.