Kuldeep Yadav, MS Dhoni
Kuldeep Yadav, MS Dhoni (Photo-Scroll)

Kuldeep Yadav’s one of the two hat-tricks in his brief ODI career arrived against Australia in 2017 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in which for India skipper, MS Dhoni had a role to play as well. Kuldeep Yadav made his debut in June 2017 and was one of the most effective bowlers in the line-up. Gradually, the left-arm chinaman spinner began bundling out batting line-ups around the world along with Yuzvendra Chahal.

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Australia had a tricky target of 253 to chase in the second ODI of the series on a deteriorating Eden Gardens surface. However, the fifties from Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis weren’t enough to get them over the finish line as the tourists finished 50 runs short. Nevertheless, if not for Kuldeep Yadav’s trick, things could have swung in Australia’s favour as Stoinis kept things steady from the other end.

Player Ratings, Yuzvendra Chahal, South Africa Vs India 2018, India Player, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawa
Kuldeep Yadav. Photo Credit: BCCI.

Kuldeep Yadav recalled bowling in half t-shirt and not feeling comfortable as changing into a full one. The 25-year-old revealed asking captain Virat Kohli if he could bowl from the other end to which Virat responded that he would after Chahal’s spell was done.

I remember I bowled the first few overs and I wasn’t comfortable bowling in half t-shirts. So, I went back to the dressing room and changed into my full-sleeve jersey.

“I spoke to Virat bhai and asked him if I could bowl from the other end. He said once Chahal’s spell was over, I could bowl from that end. I struck a very good rhythm and started bowling in the spot,” the Kanpur-born said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

I kept a slip and gully in place. Luckily I bowled a good ball and got the edge: Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav, Team India, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli
Kuldeep Yadav, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli. Photo Credit: BCCI.

Kuldeep Yadav picked the wickets of Matthew Wade and Ashton Agar in consecutive deliveries and disclosed asking MS Dhoni what to bowl. The gloveman reacted by requesting the bowler to deliver what he feels right but advised him to bowl to the stumps.

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MS Dhoni kept a gully and slip as the bat managed to draw an edge, going to the slip fielder. There on, Kuldeep Yadav managed to clinch a hat-trick in Eden Gardens in the first year of international cricket as the greatest moment of his life. He got his second hattrick last year in Vizag against the West Indies.

I got my first wicket of Matthew Wade and then in the next ball, I plucked Ashton Agar. For the third ball, I asked Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) what to bowl. When you have so many variations, you get confused. He just let me do whatever I felt was right but suggested that I kept it to the stumps. I kept a slip and gully in place.

“Luckily I bowled a good ball and got the edge. Getting a hat-trick at Eden Garden, that too in the first year of international cricket, is a big thing and this was one of the biggest moments of my life,” the left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav added.

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