Kuldeep Yadav doesn’t mind batters coming at him with attacking shots. In fact, he relishes the challenge and thinks it keeps him “more focussed” in addition to making for attractive cricket overall.
“Usually in Test cricket, you are not used to having someone with such an attacking batting approach,” Kuldeep said two days out from the third Test in Rajkot. “But at the same time you are more involved in the game. As a spinner you are more focused on the game, how you are going to bowl and what your approach will be.
“Sometimes in Test cricket, you are not overly worried if the batter would attack and you focus on how to dismiss them. But here the approach is different, they are in attacking mode so you have to plan on how to restrict them because (if they are) playing more shots then more opportunities are being created to take a wicket. It is interesting, the last game was my first (of the series) and I enjoyed it a lot and it is good for cricket too.”
The first two Tests of the series were played on slow turning pitches which made for the kind of cricket that Kuldeep spoke of. While Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley pulled in the punches in Hyderabad, it was Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal returning the favour on a much more balanced track in Visakhapatnam.
Kuldeep feels that tracks like those are good for cricket.
“I feel that keeping our batting in mind, batting too is important for us, and not just spin bowling. But if you see overall, everything is important,” Kuldeep reckoned. “The fast bowlers also come into play, like you saw in the last match. So (good wickets) are good for cricket. It is not (the case) that you will not get to see rank turners going forward. Hopefully, in the future you will see (turning tracks).”
Should turning tracks be the way to go for India’s home Tests? “I do not know that, I enjoy playing whenever I should get an opportunity to play, whether it is on a flat track or on a rank turner,” Kuldeep said.
“I haven’t played on rank turners. I did not play in the last series (the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February-March last year) at home. So, I do not know what our approach or thinking would be. It is basically the team management’s decision. Obviously, all of you also want to watch good cricket. For good cricket, it’s important (that the wickets are good),” Kuldeep added.
Ollie Pope also reckoned that the pitch in Rajkot looks “pretty good”, meaning England could rejig their combination which has resolved around playing just one pacer so far in the series.
“If it stays like that, there’s every chance two seamers will be played,” Pope told BBC Sport. “I don’t want to give away too many secrets, but at the minute there’s a little bit more grass on it. It looks like a pretty good pitch.
“We always like to make a decision here the day before the Test begins because conditions can change, especially with the heat on it all day.”
Whatever the pitch that’s dished out in Rajkot, having Ravindra Jadeja back in the side will be a massive boost given the all-rounder’s capabilities. Kuldeep sounded positive about Jadeja playing the third Test. “I think so [he will play]. He is doing his routine. He did one session yesterday and I think he is available,” the Indian left-arm legspinner said. “If I get the opportunity, I will be more than happy. I do not think too much about if I am playing or not; I just enjoy my day and keep working hard and that is my process.”
