Kuldeep Yadav hardly thinks about which ball he bowls with these days, something he stated while speaking to the broadcasters after the third day’s play of the ongoing second Test in New Delhi.

Since his comeback after recovering from a groin injury sustained late last year, the left-arm wrist spinner has been India’s game-changer in limited-overs cricket. Made to warm the benches on the entire five-Test tour of England, Kuldeep needed to prove that he is just as effective in the longest format as well.

The ongoing West Indies series marked his return to Test cricket after almost a year. In the opener in Ahmedabad, Kuldeep didn’t have much scope to take wickets in bulk, yet he finished with a match haul of four scalps.

But at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, taking into account the frailties of the current Windies batting line-up, Kuldeep was in his elements. The wrong’un to clean up Shai Hope, trapping Kevin Imlach LBW with conventional spin and knocking Jayden Seales over with a straighter — these were the characteristic deliveries that earned Kuldeep a Test five-for after 19 months and made the Windies follow on.

“There was no fizz from the wicket yesterday (Saturday), so I just wanted to beat the batter in the air,” he said later. “Taking a five-for was special indeed. I’ve got to create magic on the field... Doesn’t matter if it’s after an 18-month gap or a one-month gap.”

Talking about his bowling so far in the visitors’ second innings, where he remains wicketless after 11 overs and has conceded 53 runs, Kuldeep said: “(Shai) Hope and (John) Campbell have batted really well. But the wicket is on the slower side, so you have to generate energy, which is difficult for a wrist-spinner. Beating the batter in the air was my plan, and I was trying to increase my arm speed as well.”

However, if Kuldeep can strike early on Monday, too, India may not have to be out there on the field for too long on Day IV.