New Delhi: Kuldeep Yadav’s re-emergence in ODI cricket for India has been one of the biggest plus points in the team’s build-up to the all-important Men’s ODI World Cup, set to be held in home conditions from October 5 to November 19.
Since 2022, after recovering from a knee surgery, Kuldeep has featured in 18 matches for India in 50-overs format, picking 32 wickets while averaging 21.43 and economy rate of 5.01, while stepping up to be an integral figure to pick wickets in the middle overs.
More recently, Kuldeep bamboozled West Indies batters in the first ODI at Kensington Oval, taking a stunning four for six in only three overs, before taking 1-30 in the second game. Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha believes Kuldeep’s clarity over his role and plan is helping him excel in ODIs.
“The clarity that he has in his mind is working for him. When he came back after being injured, I was following that and I noticed that he has got the clarity on what he needs to do. One was, to address his injury and other thing was, working on his run-up, pace, which is why he is now back and performing. It only happens when you have that clarity,” said Ojha, an expert for JioCinema, in a select virtual media interaction.
Ojha noticed that Kuldeep’s work on improving his fitness levels, as well as on pace and imparting revolutions on the ball are also yielding him desired outcomes. “When you understand your strengths and weaknesses, as well as when you know what you need to do instead of others telling you to prolong your career, it becomes that much easier.”
“Kuldeep Yadav was spot-on in working on his strengths because to improve your speed and revolutions on the ball, you need to be stronger. He has worked on his physical fitness and pace, which is giving him required results.”
It has been a series where India have experimented with their batting order, but the spin cupboard has looked formidable ahead of the Men’s ODI World Cup. “I am very confident about the spinners set-up. In guys like Kuldeep, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and maybe Yuzvendra Chahal, we have got two quality spinners and all-rounders. They have got enough experience to exploit the conditions in India and other thing is, they know exactly what to do on the type of wickets on home soil,” added Ojha.
As of now, Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav haven’t made full use of the chances given to adjust to middle-order positions in the absence of injured duo KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. When India won the ODI World Cup at home in 2011, the squad had a very settled look and clarity in their respective roles. Ojha thinks injuries to key players has played a role in the current Indian think-tank experimenting in search of achieving a settled look.
“Let me put it this way – when you talk about 2011, you had some of the senior players who had played 70-80 odd games in average in that period. So, every time it won’t be easy to get all the senior players to come together and play, which is why India is facing different challenges this time.”
“In context, I would say it is very important to address few things like the new batters should know how to pace their innings, which is the biggest challenge I see now. In 2011, we had players who knew how to pace their innings and knew their roles in the team. But because of so many injuries and forced changes, it is a very different challenge in what Indian team is facing right now.”
“For this challenge, the preparation to counter them is to adapt to new roles, as there are a lot of areas in batting order. Rahul Dravid (head coach) is using this series (against West Indies) to use the guys get used to different positions as in future, if they face a situation which is alien to them, they can be made ready for it,” he elaborated.
With the home ODI World Cup just over two months away, the development of Jasprit Bumrah’s return to international cricket after nearly 11 months of back injury layoff as India’s captain for three T20Is against Ireland is very heartening. Ojha expressed that how Bumrah’s body acclimatises to the rigours of shortest format before playing the 50-over format will be the key.
“Bumrah is very important for this Indian set-up, seeing the way he has contributed for the Indian team over the years, which is why we all have been discussing about him, even though he hasn’t played for a long time. It’s good to see that he’s finally back and being the senior-most member in the tour of Ireland amongst the youngsters, he’s given the captaincy.”
“Plus, he has captained India in Test cricket and Bumrah is someone who enjoys responsibility whenever he’s been the leader, especially of the bowling pack, which brings the best out of him. Only thing is, the biggest challenge for him is, how well he gets his match fitness.”
“How much you do in fitness and bowling sessions, it is totally different from match scenarios and this is where he will be tested. If he does well and doesn’t get any niggles, it will be a very big victory for NCA, BCCI and Bumrah as he has to play in the ODI World Cup and adds that extra value to the team,” he concluded.
_IANS