CHENNAI: When Australian warhorses David Warner and Steve Smith were building a steady stand for the second wicket against India, Kuldeep Yadav’s crafty left-arm wrist spin broke the well-settled duo’s partnership. Warner was caught and bowled on 41, looking bewildered as he spooned one back to Kuldeep. He then stared at the pitch while a chuffed Kuldeep kissed the ball and looked up at the sky.
There was lot of competition for the spinners’ slots in the lead-up to the World Cup. But it was the left-arm wrist- spinner’s recent performances that made the selectors go for him ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal. After a dip in form which led to his ouster from the Indian team in 2021, a few months of hard work — straightening the run-up, accelerating the pace and tweaks in his bowling — have worked like magic for the Kanpur man.
