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Kuldeep Yadav
India left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav said understanding the mindset of opposition batters reaped rich dividends for him in the opening match of the Asia Cup here on Wednesday Kuldeep, who warmed the bench for all five Tests in England, finally got some game time and also looked fitter than ever. "Thanks to Adrian (Le Roux) the trainer. Was working on my bowling and my fitness as well, everything is going perfectly. Tried to hit the right length and it matters a lot, reading the batters on what they are trying to do. "Even today as well, reacting to what the batters would do on the next ball," said Kuldeep, who returned with match-winning figures of 4 for 7 from 2.1 overs. Kuldeep's artistry was too much for a clueless UAE to comprehend as India hardly broke a sweat in an emphatic nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup opener here on Wednesday. India captain Suryaukmar Yadav said it was a clinical performance from the side. "Wanted to see how the wicket was playing. It was the sam
India's top-six batters need to be more consistent for a potential entry of specialist bowler Kuldeep Yadav in the playing eleven, bowling coach Morne Morkel has reasoned. There has been enough hue and cry over the non-selection of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep in the series thus far. Former players from India and England have vouched for his inclusion in the side considering he is a genuine match winner. However, India have preferred picking three all-rounders in the playing eleven to shore up their batting till number eight. The move has given them mixed results. Calling Kuldeep a world-class spinner, Morkel said India are trying to fit the wily operator into the side. He can now only play the last Test at The Oval from July 31. "So Kuldeep, we are trying to find a way for him, but it is just more that consistent runs from our top six that we want so that we can bring a guy like Kuldeep in," said Morkel in a rather long media interaction post stumps on day three of the fourth .
Former England pacer Steve Harmison believes India should strongly consider including Kuldeep Yadav in their playing XI for the fourth Test, but acknowledged that fitting the wrist-spinner into an already well-balanced side poses a selection dilemma. With the Old Trafford surface expected to assist spin as the match progresses, Harmison said India might have to make a bold call on whether to play three spinners or not against England in the fourth Test beginning here on Wednesday. However, if the tourists decide to go with two spinners and include Kuldeep, it will have to be at the cost of either Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja, who have both done well in the series. "The wicket in the fourth Test is not going to offer bounce to Kuldeep, but it will spin as the Test match progresses. And with the last three Tests all going deep into the fifth day, India have to seriously consider playing a second or even a third spinner," said JioHotstar expert Harmison. "At the moment, their
Former England batter Ian Bell has opined that if Jasprit Bumrah is fit, India should not limit him to just three Tests to manage his workload, given the high profile of the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar series. There is a question mark over Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the second Test beginning in Birmingham on Wednesday with India skipper Shubman Gill saying a decision on his lead pacer will be taken only after taking a look at the pitch. Gill has, however, said that Bumrah is available for selection. "I'd be amazed if he (Bumrah) only plays three Tests this summer. He's the best fast bowler in the world, and if he doesn't play, England will be very, very happy," Bell, who has more than 7,700 runs under his belt in 118 Tests, told PTI Videos. "Of course, you want to protect him (Bumrah), but if the series is on the line and he's fit, he has to play," said the the former right-handed batter. The 43-year-old feels spin could play a role as the match progresses. The spinners
New Zealand on Saturday called up two local left-arm wrist spinners to bowl to senior batter Tom Latham and all-rounder Michael Bracwell at the nets to prepare for a possible contest against India's Kuldeep Yadav in their Champions Trophy match here. Kuldeep, the left-arm wrist spinner, mainly operates in the middle overs where Latham and Bracwell often bat. It's (the DICS pitch) playing a little bit slow and there's obviously a good deal of turn. I think it's going to be an interesting match-up," said New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips in the pre-match press conference here. They (India) have got three quality spinners, and it's all about rotating the strike and taking the game deep. The two local players called up to bowl to New Zealand batters are 15-year-old Ishan Rajesh, who is a UAE Under-16 camper from Zenith club, and Nilansh Keshwani, a UAE probable. Kuldeep has been India skipper Rohit Sharma's go-to bowler in the middle overs to stem the run flow or to fetch a cruci