As the Indian cricket team gears up for the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, all eyes are on local boy Kuldeep Yadav. The wrist-spinner, who has had a stop-start career, is hopeful of securing a spot in the playing XI at his home ground, Green Park Stadium.
Earlier this year, during a podcast with Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep surprised many by revealing his age. “You are 29, I can’t believe this,” Ashwin laughed. Kuldeep will turn 30 in less than three months, but since his Test debut in 2017, he has played only 12 Tests. His childhood coach, Kapil Pandey, is hopeful that he will finally see his ward bowling in a Test at Green Park, the venue where it all started for Kuldeep.
“It’s his bad luck that he has only played 12 Tests in seven years. Hopefully, he will get a chance to play his 13th in Kanpur,” Pandey told The Indian Express.
Kuldeep’s career has been marked by both remarkable highs and frustrating lows. In 2019, after taking a five-wicket haul in Sydney, he was touted as “India’s lead spinner in overseas Tests” by then head coach Ravi Shastri. However, a loss of form and a career-threatening knee injury soon put his career at a crossroads. Despite his talent, Kuldeep has often found himself on the sidelines.
In Chattogram in 2022, Kuldeep bagged an eight-wicket haul and scored a crucial 40 in the first innings, earning the player-of-the-match award. However, this performance was not enough to secure his spot in the next match, as the team management opted for Jaydev Unadkat instead. Kuldeep had worked on his bowling speed and batting, but his efforts were not always rewarded.
“He was told to work on his bowling speed and batting. He did both, but the next match, he got dropped. From that point, whenever he is not picked, I only laugh,” said Pandey. “I have seen that struggle very closely. The way he was treated was unfortunate, but he told me specifically that ‘My dip and drift will be my answer.’”
Earlier this year, during the five-match Test series against England, Kuldeep made a strong comeback, picking up 19 wickets, including a five-wicket haul and a player-of-the-match performance at Dharamsala. However, six months later, when India played their next Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, Kuldeep didn’t make the playing XI.
The question remains whether Kuldeep will get a chance to play a Test in front of family and friends in Kanpur. India’s first training session on Wednesday indicated that if the team plans to go with three spinners, Kuldeep might face a stiff challenge from Axar Patel. Axar was seen bowling in tandem with Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the nets, while Kuldeep was doing basic fielding drills with Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel. He did come on to bowl, but by that time, India’s premier batsmen had left the nets.
Jadeja’s presence in the team might help Kuldeep pip Axar in the battle for the third spinner role. Although Axar’s stock in white-ball formats has risen recently, in Test cricket, he is considered a slightly inferior version of Jadeja.
Pandey, who will be at Green Park with Kuldeep’s family and a few trainees from his academy, wants the team management to consider Kuldeep’s past performances before making a final decision. “It obviously depends upon the team management about what combination they want to play. But I feel Kuldeep must play in all home Test matches. He has that X factor,” said his coach.
“In Dharamsala, the pitch was absolutely flat. But the way he cleaned up Zak Crawley should be enough for the team management to play him in every Test match,” added Pandey.
As India looks to secure qualification for the World Test Championship finals, the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI could be a crucial decision. Will the local hero finally get his chance to shine in front of his home crowd? Only time will tell.
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