NEWS
Follow UsChosen as the primary spinner in the ODI side ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav has maintained a successful streak and that was on display in the first ODI in Barbados when he snapped four wickets for a mere six runs to bundle the Windies for 114 runs. Coming into bowl when the Windies were 97/6, Yadav had the time of his life, and the precision with which he bowled must have made the team management more confident about their plans.
In three overs that he bowled on Thursday, he snapped up at least one wicket each over and that also made Kuldeep Yadav believe that his plans are working fine for him, and he should stick to the process that is yielding success.
"I don't think too much about taking wickets. I focus on the process - where to bowl and what lengths to be targeting. Process is more important than performance. Since my return from injury last year, I've been trying to consistently bowl the right lengths. Sometimes you get wickets, sometimes you don't even when you bowl well, but length is very crucial, especially for the spinners. When the opposition loses a few wickets, then I try my variations for wickets. Happy with the way I started in the first ODI," Kuldeep Yadav said in the post-match press conference.
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India had decided to bowl first to have a score in front of them, but the pitch immediately deteriorated, making it extremely difficult for the batters to ply their trade. While Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav scalped seven wickets between them, Windies’ Gudakesh Motie and Yannic Cariah picked three wickets between them.
"It was a good wicket for the seamers. The fast bowlers bowled really well. When Jadeja was bowling, it was gripping and turning at the same time. When I started from that end, I was getting the drift as well as the turn. In the second innings, you saw the spell from their spinners - they bowled really well. They were getting the turn and the bounce. It was a good wicket for spinners as well," said Kuldeep.
"We could have chased it down with just one or two wickets down. But they bowled really well. The new guy was very good and the left-armer as well. You want to give opportunities to the younger boys, we did that. In the next game, you'll probably see the full side batting and hopefully, we can win the second one and win the series."
Kuldeep Yadav now has 31 ODI wickets in the last 19 matches - basically since Jan 2022. The performance combined with the downfall of Yuzvendra Chahal has now resulted in the Uttar Pradesh spinner being a regular in the playing XI for India. The spinner believes that whenever he had to sit out, that was because of the team combination and he has understood the dynamics, now that he is playing for India for close to six years.
"On a lot of occasions, the situation and due to the combination, I have to sit out. It's pretty normal for me as I've been playing international cricket for close to six years. I keep myself relaxed when I'm not playing. When you're playing, there's pressure to perform well.
"We (Kuldeep and Chahal) both know the importance of combination. We have a great understanding. He helps me a lot when I'm playing - what to do, what to change. I replicate the same when he plays. That's why the KulCha pair has been so good over the years. We support and back each other,” the spinner added.
