India spinner has done well to tie batters up in knots and reiterate his status as wicket-taking entity in last 10 overs
India wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav celebrates the dismissal of Pakistan’s Salman Agha in Dubai on Sunday. PIC/AFP
Kuldeep Yadav was in a race against time to make a complete recovery ahead of the home ODI series against England earlier this month. In November, he underwent surgery for sports hernia in Munich, leaving him with a little over two months to rehab, recover, play for Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy and prove his match-fitness. The pixie left-arm wrist-spinner ticked all the boxes, embarking on an uncompromising rehab schedule at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and convincing those that needed convincing that he was ready to return to the rigours of international cricket.
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Unique and exceptional
India needed Kuldeep for the Champions Trophy, but wise after past misadventures, they weren’t going to take a punt on his fitness. Once the decision-makers were certain he was cricket-fit (he bowled 31 overs against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy), they quickly reintegrated him into the national setup because the skill set he offers is unique. And exceptional.
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In trying to extend their batting depth in the home Tests against New Zealand in October-November, India sold themselves short by omitting Kuldeep from the playing XI after the first Test in Bangalore, where in any case the additional spinner was superfluous, given the overhead conditions and the nature of the surface. That was the time when surgery was identified as the best possible solution to fix a niggling old issue. Now that he is back, Kuldeep is back doing what he does best — tying batters up in knots, reiterating his status as a wicket-taking entity in the last 10 overs of an innings too, giving control and penetration despite practicing a style of bowling that is at once complex and alluring.
The two ODIs against England at home were never going to be about a bucketful of wickets. It was about getting used to the country v country adrenaline rush, about finding rhythm in 50-over cricket — before February 6, his last ODI was in Colombo (Aug 7). Two wickets in two games didn’t mean as much as the fact that he got 17.4 overs under his belt or that by the end of his eight-over spell in the third ODI in Ahmedabad, there were signs that the Kuldeep of early 2023 and beyond was almost back.
Timely performance
Against Bangladesh last Thursday, Kuldeep was tight without being incisive, maybe because the batters were intent on not inflating his ‘W’ column. Clearly better for that run out, the 30-year-old was in his elements against Pakistan on Sunday. Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan made token efforts to go after him but held back when the wristie found his groove. When he returned for a final burst at the start of the 41st over, the wickets came quickly.
Salman Agha was the first to go, skewing a top-spinner to cover. Shaheen Shah Afridi perished next ball, to a ripping wrong ‘un that spat off the surface and turned a mile. The piece de resistance was the scalp of Naseem Shah, the batter believing the ball was in his hitting arc until it dipped wickedly at the last instant and forced him to reach out with his hands alone. Bigger battles with higher stakes loom. India need Kuldeep at his wicket-taking best, and the signs are most encouraging.
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