Sri Lanka Vs India 2017: Virat Bhai Supports Me A Lot, Says Kuldeep Yadav
With Ravindra Jadeja‘s suspension opening up a place for a spinner in the playing eleven for the third Test against Sri Lanka, Kuldeep Yadav has admitted he is excited on the prospect of playing his second Test. Jadeja, who was the Man of the Match in the second Test at Colombo, was handed an one-match suspension for throwing the ball in a ‘dangerous manner’ towards the batsman in the second innings.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel has been included in the squad as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja but Kuldeep looks likely to partner Ravichandran Ashwin for the final Test, scheduled to be played at Pallekele from August 12.
“Obviously there is excitement,” he said on Wednesday(August 9). “I was excited to play my debut Test as well, so if I get a chance to play in Sri Lanka. I will be very happy because I have been working hard and this will be a result of that. So obviously excited, but also there is nervousness that I should be able to perform.
The chinaman spinner stated that the team-management is yet to finalise on the playing XI but revealed that head coach Ravi Shastri has kept on motivating him since the start of the tour.
“It is still not clear (on his inclusion in the final XI) because there are three days left for practice. But ever since I have come here, Shastri sir keeps on motivating me. I have been doing nets and he has been talking to me during the nets from even before the first Test. It is a good experience,” he said.
Kuldeep has already impressed one and all in the limited opportunities he has got at the international stage so far. The 22-year old made his Test debut earlier this year against Australia in Dharamsala and made an instant impact by taking 4 for 68, dismissing the likes of David Warner and Glenn Maxwell. He was not included in the team for the Champions Trophy but was a part of the team that toured West Indies last month for a limited-overs series. He impressed once again and finished the five-match ODI series as its highest wicket-taker. He also impressed during the two-day warm-up game against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI, picking up four wickets.
This is Kuldeep’s first visit to Sri Lanka with the senior team and the young spinner, while admitting that he has prepared a bit, said that the pitches in the island nation are not very much different than the Indian ones.
“I didn’t plan anything in particular, but you do work a little bit on your mindset because you are bowling on overseas wickets. Here wickets are a bit similar to Indian wickets. So you do have an idea of how to bowl. Only the batsmen are a bit different in terms of their approach, foreign cricketers have a different approach to playing in the subcontinent, not too different here but obviously I have planned a little bit. If I am able to carry it to the field, it will be good,” he said.
“Mendis and Karunaratne batted very well in the last Test, they played the sweep very well. It is difficult for spinners if the batsmen are playing the sweep so effectively. It becomes easy for the batsmen and tougher for the bowlers, so my plan is to try and control that they do not play sweep shots as much. But playing the sweep also means a lot of chances so if you plan even a little for them it becomes very helpful,” he added.
He further said that captain Virat Kohli has backed him throughout.
“Obviously if the captain believes in you then you have done half your work. Captain’s belief is very important and Virat bhai supports me a lot. He supported me completely in West Indies and the way he talks to the players on the ground, the way he spoke to me in the ODIs, it felt very nice because captain’s confidence is the biggest thing for a player,” he said.
