21-3-82-1: These have been Kuldeep Yadav’s numbers within the first innings in opposition to India B. This was regardless of them being 5 down when the wrist spinner was given the ball within the thirty ninth over.
Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t one of India’s immediate starters in Test cricket. Despite having a splendid record (average of 21 and 34 wickets in 8 matches), the left-arm wrist spinner couldn’t find a spot in the Indian team in over 14 months. That changed earlier this year, in February.
With uncertainty over Ravindra Jadeja’s fitness, he was picked for the India vs England Tests. After the four-match series ended, he was the fourth-highest wicket-taker and had the second-best average. Along with Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep was one of India’s biggest weapons in white-ball cricket, and the England series boosted his status in Test cricket as well.
You hardly if ever find a left-arm wrist spinner in Test cricket. Paul Adams is the most successful one, and he’s taken just 134 scalps. That makes Kuldeep Yadav an ‘X’ factor even in Tests. As mentioned above, he was on point earlier in the year and was better than Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja. So, with the India vs Bangladesh Test series coming up, everyone has high hopes from Kuldeep.
Kuldeep Yadav rusty & disinterested
Unfortunately, Kuldeep isn’t exactly exuding confidence at the moment. Playing a first-class match for the first time since March, the wrist spinner looked rusty in the India A vs B match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Playing alongside great players, many of whom are his India teammates, Kuldeep didn’t fare that well. It wasn’t until his 19th over that he got a wicket. That too was when Musheer Khan was batting at 181 and was looking to get to his double hundred as quickly as possible. He went at nearly 4 runs an over and bowled just 3 maidens, failing to contain runs even against Navdeep Saini.
Kuldeep Yadav looked completely out of rhythm. Now, he hasn’t picked up a red ball in nearly 6 months, so a little bit of rust is expected. But, at many times, it looked like he was disinterested in bowling and was doing so because he’d been named in the XI. There was to zip in his run-up. His competitive switch didn’t seem to be turned on, and it was as if he was going to bowl with no aim other than being told by Shubman Gill to have a crack at Musheer and Saini, who’d rescued India B from a precarious position (94/7).
Bangladesh with an edge over India?
Keeping the India vs Bangladesh Tests, this isn’t exactly great. Two of India’s top spinners (Ashwin and Jadeja) haven’t played red-ball cricket since March, and Kuldeep hasn’t done well or looked like he’s even trying hard. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz played a massive role in beating Pakistan 2-0 away from home. They are in rhythm and running high on confidence. Not to mention, their best spinner, Taijul Islam, didn’t even get a chance in Pakistan and will be looking to prove himself come September 19.
Should Indian fans fear an upset? No. Given how well India has fared at home, nothing less than a 2-0 victory should be expected. But it surely won’t be surprising to see that Bangladeshi spinners perform better at Chennai, especially in the first dig.
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