Hoping for a Test Call-up: Kuldeep After Shining in Series Opener

Kuldeep Yadav after returning with career-best ODI figures of 6/25 in India’s series opening win against England.

Kuldeep Yadav.

(Photo: ANI)

“Good I didn’t play the final T20 against England, because I instead performed well today,” said chinaman Kuldeep Yadav after returning with career-best ODI figures of 6/25 in India’s series opener against England at Nottingham on Thursday, 12 July.

Yadav's wrist-spin deliveries continued to confuse the English batsmen as he helped India bowl out the hosts in the final over for 268. Opener Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten century then made the chase seem like cakewalk as the runs were knocked off in only 40.1 overs.

Yadav’s figures of 10-0-25-6 were the best ever by any chinaman bowler in the history of ODIs. The 23-year-old bowled 38 dot balls and not once was he hit for a boundary.

When asked which one was his favourite out of the six wickets, Yadav couldn’t pick one.

That’s a tough question. For me, all six wickets are the best. Of course, the first wicket was very important because we needed a breakthrough and we got that.

Kuldeep Yadav

“I didn’t try anything new. Just stuck to the basics and bowled wicket to wicket, and varied my pace,” said Yadav, after bowling his first five-for in ODIs after he had recently achieved the same feat in T20Is during the Manchester encounter.

After the three-match ODI series, India take on England in a five-match Test series. And Yadav is hoping he’s part of that squad too.

I’m actually hoping for a Test call-up. Let’s see what happens in a couple of days when the Test team is announced.

Kuldeep Yadav