Boria Majumdar
It is said that if one wants something really badly, one does get it. Kuldeep Yadav would have wanted that five-for more and more after missing out on the entire Test series in England. His last five-wicket haul was in March 2024, 18 months ago. But in those 18 months, he has just played two Test matches for India. That’s what shows the temperament of the man. He misses out each time India opt to strengthen the batting. It happened five consecutive times in England, and almost happened in Ahmedabad. And yet, he does not complain. He stays grounded, enjoys being part of the squad and waits his turn. And each time he gets an opportunity, he makes it count. It is a telling reminder how good he is, and also a reminder that India will never lose out by picking him in red-ball cricket.
Up until the 2019 World Cup, things were looking perfect for Kuldeep. Following up on a dream debut, he had performed consistently well each time Virat Kohli had thrown him the ball. And in fact, he has only got better. One man who knows Kuldeep well and has followed his progress from close is Australian bowler Brad Hogg, who Kuldeep claims he learnt a lot from while sharing a dressing room in the IPL. “He is an intelligent bowler to start with, and always wants to pick wickets and that’s the key to success,” explained Hogg.
Someone like Kuldeep has to be handled well, and given the confidence to deliver for his team. Nurtured and protected on occasions. That’s what Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill have to do. In the last couple of years, he has faced and seen a lot. While some said that he was bowling a little too slow, others complained about his action and release point. When things don’t go right for you, everything you do appears problematic. It was the very same for Kuldeep.
With his passion for painting and watching football, he managed to find different domains to channelise his energies. Kept his focus away from cricket for a while. It was important that he distance himself from the sport and recalibrate. In fact, it was this period of rediscovery that has helped Kuldeep.
From being touted as India’s premier spinner by coach Ravi Shastri after his five-wicket haul in Sydney in January 2019, to being discarded and left out of the team, Kuldeep has seen it all in the last few years. And in the process, he has been hardened. He now knows what it is like to fail. To face criticism and ignominy. To stay away from the public glare where people aren’t interested in you anymore. This is Kuldeep Yadav 2.0.
What we now want to see in Kuldeep is the consistency that he is indeed capable of. A confident Kuldeep could be India’s X-factor in this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. It is now on Gill and Gambhir to make the best use of him going forward. From what we have seen in the Delhi Test, he is at his peak, and the Indian management will be keenly aware of that when they pick the team to play the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata.
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