Kuldeep Yadav remains part of India’s Test squad but has often struggled to find a place in the playing XI. The left-arm wrist-spinner, however, reminded everyone of his capabilities on Thursday (September 10), claiming 10 wickets for 120 runs as Yorkshire completed a huge County Championship victory over Essex at Headingley.Kuldeep produced his best-ever bowling figures in First Class cricket, returning four for 70 in the first innings before following it up with six for 50 in the second. His combined effort helped Yorkshire dismiss Essex for 171 and 113 and secure a 106-run victory.The performance came on a pitch that offered plenty of encouragement to spin, although Kuldeep’s impact was not limited to the ball. He also contributed 36 off 94 deliveries to Yorkshire’s total of 390.
Kuldeep explains how Headingley helped his bowling
Kuldeep felt the surface allowed him to focus on his strengths rather than trying to generate excessive pace through the air.“It was a lovely wicket to bowl on because you don’t have to bowl quick in terms of pace because the wicket already has pace in it,” he told Yorkshire Cricket TV.The spinner explained that the conditions allowed him to focus on imparting plenty of revolutions on the ball, while also highlighting the contrast with what he encounters in India.“After pitching, you can see there is a bit of quickness and you just have to spin the ball and put a lot of revs on it. Ultimately, that was the key. If you compare it to Indian conditions, it’s totally different. Back home when you bowl, you will get to see a lot of spin, but the wickets are on the slower side and the batsmen can adjust sometimes. Here, because of the quickness, if they go back foot, they get trapped and probably they have to play front foot. That’s where you have a better chance of getting them caught behind or slip or maybe short-leg.”
A timely response after a difficult Test run
The Yorkshire performance assumes greater significance given Kuldeep’s recent struggles to establish himself in India’s Test XI.During the recent two-Test series against Sri Lanka, he bowled the fewest overs among India’s spinners in the first Test before being left out of the playing XI for the second.His Test career has frequently followed a similar pattern. Despite making his debut back in 2017 and establishing himself as one of India’s most accomplished white-ball spinners, Kuldeep has played only 19 Tests, highlighting how difficult it has been for him to secure a prolonged run in the longest format.For several years, India’s spin department was dominated by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Both offered not only quality bowling but also significant contributions with the bat, making them central to India’s team balance.That left Kuldeep competing for a place whenever conditions favoured an additional spinner.The landscape has now shifted considerably.Ashwin has retired, while Jadeja, at 37, is moving towards the latter stages of his career. On paper, that appeared to open the door for Kuldeep to take on a much bigger role in India’s Test plans. There was an expectation that, with Ashwin gone, Kuldeep would emerge as India’s leading spinner.That, however, has not happened.Kuldeep remains part of the Test squad, but a regular place in the playing XI has continued to elude him. India still place a premium on batting depth when putting together their Test combinations, while other spin options have also strengthened their claims.Washington Sundar has increasingly established himself as an important part of India’s Test plans. His off-spin gives the attack another bowling option, while his ability with the bat makes him particularly valuable when India are looking for greater balance in the XI.Manav Suthar, meanwhile, has emerged as another serious contender. The left-arm spinner made an impressive start to his Test career, taking seven wickets on debut against Afghanistan before following it up with a 10-wicket haul in his second Test against Sri Lanka.Those performances have strengthened Suthar’s case as a potential long-term option for India.Yet Kuldeep brings a quality neither of them quite replicates.Suthar offers accuracy and control, while Kuldeep’s wrist-spin gives India a different threat. His ability to turn the ball sharply and create opportunities with variation makes him a distinct option when the conditions and opposition call for it.
