New Delhi: Kuldeep Yadav is 30, and it is quite unbelievable that he has only played 13 Tests for India.
That too, after his five-wicket haul in Sydney in 2019 – long before he added extra yard to his pace, tightened his lengths, tweaked his bowling action, and became more rounded – the then Team India coach Ravi Shastri endorsed him as “India’s lead spinner in overseas Tests.” A few years later, a loss of form and a career-threatening knee surgery put him at a crossroads, leading to him becoming the fifth-choice tweaker after R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Last time he was in England, in 2018, he had a forgettable experience on a green top at Lord's. He bagged a pair with the bat and conceded 44 runs in the nine overs he bowled.
"Kuldeep ab same bowler nahi raha (He is not the same bowler anymore)," Kuldeep Yadav's childhood coach Kapil Pandey told TimesofIndia.com.
"This is also not the same England team. We have seen how they fared last time when they faced Kuldeep. They were unable to pick him," said Pandey, reflecting on his ward's 19 wickets in four Test matches on a "true wicket" against England in 2024.
Kuldeep's moment to shineAjit Agarkar, India's chief selector, on Sunday made it clear that fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to play all five Tests on the tour of England, which starts on June 20 at Headingley.
Mohammed Shami has also been deemed not fit to sustain the rigours of five-day Tests. And with R Ashwin now retired, India will be banking on Kuldeep Yadav to be that X-factor against England's "Bazballers".
But he will have his own challenges.
"Spin bowling with the Duke ball is an art. It is my personal opinion that only Shane Warne had mastered that art. Kuldeep will have to find his rhythm with the Duke ball," said Pandey.
"In India, he goes for wickets. But overseas, where the conditions are more seaming-friendly, he will have to attack to take wickets but at the same time will have to contain the run flow as well," said Pandey.
Without a doubt, there is a tectonic shift in Kuldeep’s attitude as well. Last year, during a podcast with Ashwin, Kuldeep had made his ambition clear. “You remember, Ash bhai, after the Hyderabad Test (against England) you told me if I was to play as the lead spinner, I must bowl 15 overs and not give away more than 25-30 runs in a spell. Earlier, I used to think about getting four wickets and it didn’t matter how many runs I conceded.”
He must start
Ashwin has publicly advocated for Kuldeep's inclusion in India's playing XI for all five Tests in England, highlighting his potential to be a valuable asset in overseas conditions. On his Hindi YouTube channel "Ash Ki Baat," Ashwin had said: "India should not go into this series without Kuldeep Yadav. That is my strong opinion -- unless and until it is an absolute green bed."
Kapil agrees with Ashwin, but at the same time, citing Shane Warne's example, he said Kuldeep can generate more from the greener surface.
"Australia always played Shane Warne on absolute green-top surfaces. I am not saying Kuldeep is Shane Warne, but the greener the surface, the better chance for him to take wickets. This England side has a mentality to attack from ball one. They sometimes do the wild hoicking as well, and on a surface where there is more bounce and now with Kuldeep having added pace, he can trouble the England batters," said a confident Pandey.
With the five-match Test series in England set to be a big challenge for an inexperienced Indian team under a new captain, Kuldeep will have to step up.
According to Kapil, Kuldeep is oozing with confidence, and most importantly, he is carrying the advice of his idol Warne, who, ahead of the Sydney Test in 2019, had told him, “I don’t care however you bowl, just have a smile on your face.”
"If he can do even 50 percent of what legendary Shane Warne has done in England, India will win the series," stated Pandey.
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