Kuldeep Yadav’s continuous absence from the XI during the Anderson-Tendulkar left many surprised.
The decision to bench the left-arm wrist spinner right through five Tests didn’t hurt India much as they squared the series 2-2 against England. Usually, in such a
case, the player concerned is left with a bitter taste, but Kuldeep has taken that snub in his stride, put that behind him and has got down to business.
From Monday, Kuldeep has been undergoing full-intensity training at his personal coach Kapil Pandey’s academy ground in Kanpur, keeping in mind the upcoming assignments. With Asia Cup being the focus at present, the 30-year-old left-arm spinner is also putting extra effort into sharpening his top-spin to counter the sweep.
“His stock delivery and the one that goes straight or away from the batter are deliveries Kuldeep can bowl at will. They are a part of his expertise. But he also understands the need to bowl the top-spin well and execute it at the right time.
“If you can keep adding to your variations, it’s always beneficial. Besides, to counter the sweep shot in particular, the top spin is an effective tool. So yes, he’s laying extra emphasis on it at the moment,” Pandey said on Tuesday.
What bodes well for Kuldeep is having the mindset to resume training soon after returning from England. It further reflects that his motivation level, despite not finding a place in any of the five Tests, remains unaffected.
Before the Asia Cup, he will also be playing in the Duleep Trophy, which begins on August 28, for Central Zone.
“Of course, Kuldeep may not have featured in the team’s plans and tactics in England. But if you don’t include a bowler of his calibre, it’s more the country’s loss than his.
“Anyway, even yesterday (Monday), I told him, ‘Don’t think about what happened in England. Just concentrate on the Asia Cup.’ He’s doing exactly that and will be playing in Duleep too.
“In England as well, he had put in a lot of effort with both bat and ball at nets. He knows that sulking won’t help. So, he’s intent on working harder and coming back stronger,” Kuldeep’s coach explained.
A couple of matches before going into the Asia Cup will help Kuldeep in regaining his game rhythm more than anything else, feels former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju. “For him, it’s not about getting into form. It’s about regaining the rhythm with some game time.
“A couple of Duleep games will help him in that. We all know how good he is, particularly in white-ball cricket. So, he just needs to spend time at the centre, which will certainly help in regaining his match rhythm,” Raju, who played 28 Tests and 53 ODIs, pointed out.
Given Kuldeep’s record in T20Is — 69 wickets from 40 appearances — he certainly stands a fair chance of featuring in the Asia Cup
squad. But is his place in the XI guaranteed?
That seems to be a tough question as the Indian spin department will, in all likelihood, comprise Varun Chakravarthy, all-rounder Washington Sundar and leg-break bowler Ravi Bishnoi. If there are no fitness complaints regarding the other all-rounder, Axar
Patel, the left-armer too will find a place.
Spin had played a major role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year, with Chakravarthy and Kuldeep striking in crucial phases by making optimum use of the conditions in Dubai. So, it will be tough to keep Kuldeep out of the XI, especially with the tournament to be held in the UAE.