Kuldeep Yadav is an excellent cricketer in his own right and a very likeable person. Even after almost a decade in international cricket, there are no airs about him. He always has time to exchange pleasantries with his journalist friends.
On Monday, after an intense nets session at the ICC Academy ground here in Dubai, Kuldeep bumped into a group of hacks who were covering India’s practice. Handshakes done, this correspondent complained to him about his football tweets going AWOL of late. “Aare Dada, gaali pada hai (I get a lot of flak from rival fans),” he replied in mock anguish before heading towards the dressing room.
It was a day when he had a decent batting stint too at the nets after completing his bowling. The day before, he bowled a lot and looked to be in good rhythm. Will he be part of India’s playing XI against Bangladesh on Thursday?
Kuldeep missed the Australia tour due to hernia surgery. He did his rehab at the National Cricket Academy before returning to competitive cricket and playing a Ranji Trophy game for Uttar Pradesh. Two ODIs against England followed. In the first game in Nagpur, he returned with 1/53 from 9.4 overs. He looked rusty. His second game in Ahmedabad was better – 1/38 from eight overs. But more than that, he was giving the ball a good rip and getting the fizz. The left-arm wrist-spin bowler is expected to be India’s first-choiceattacking spinner in the Champions Trophy, aided by two spin-bowling all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
The question remains, where does that put Varun Chakravarthy – a wild-card entry to the squad – whom head coach Gautam Gambhir has called India’s potential X-factor at the ICC event?
“Look, the only reason was (that) we wanted another wicket-taking option in the middle,” Gambhir had said at the post-match press conference in Ahmedabad, after India’s 3-0 clean-sweep of England in the ODI series. “And we know what Varun brings to the table, that he can be a massive threat. With a lot of teams who haven’t played him, he could be the X-factor as well. I’m not going to say he is going to start and all that stuff, but it’s always good to have a strong bowling line-up, because we know that if we get those wickets in the middle, it’s going to be an advantage.”
If India’s training sessions on the first two days here served as an indication, Varun might have to wait for his turn. On Sunday, he did out-fielding and catching drills for almost an hour before starting his bowling. The day after, he had a good bowling stint at the nets.
Varun likes to keep his own counsel. But with the ball in his hand, he can be deadly. Also, he has a clear idea about his game. Last year, during India’s T20I series in South Africa, he beautifully explained his transformation from a side-spin bowler to someone who focuses chiefly on over-spin. Varun has also done away with his carrom ball and embraced a potent googly to good effect.
All said and done, Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t sound too convinced about Varun’s inclusion in India’s Champions Trophy squad, as he analysed it in detail on his Hindi YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.
“Five spinners in Dubai?” the great off-spinner asked. “I don’t know. I think we are one spinner too many, if not two. The two left-arm spinners are your best all-rounders alongside Hardik Pandya. So, both Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are going to play. Hardik will also play and Kuldeep will play.”
About Varun’s chances of playing, Ashwin said: “If you want Varun Chakravarthy in the team, then you will have to make a pacer sit out and use Hardik as your second pacer. Else, you will have to drop a spinner to bring in a third seamer.”
Gambhir, though, has a mind of his own and he likes to spring surprises. It was Washington Sundar in the home Test series against New Zealand and Nitish Kumar Reddy in Australia. India’s ODI side has a settled look. Will the head coach tinker and use Varun as his trump card? Fans will have to wait and see.