Kuldeep Yadav has come some distance since he lead the Under-19 UP team in a match against Mumbai in the Cooch Behar Trophy at the Wankhede Stadium. On Wednesday he played a pertinent role in UP’s title win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 21-year old bowling in tandem with senior campaigner Piyush Chawla seized the advantage for UP as they defended 163 against Baroda.
“I remember that day when I played for the U19 (UP) team against Mumbai. It was good, it was lucky for me as because of that performance I got a call-up to the Mumbai Indians team. Now to play in the senior team and under Raina bhai is a very pleasing thing,” Yadav said while reflecting on the bygone time.
He had an able guide in Chawla besides the experienced captain as he bowled at a crucial time in the game. In the seven-over duration that they bowled spin on trot, the pair had conceded 24 runs and Kuldeep had sent back the in-form Hardik Pandya and the equally hard-hitting Deepak Hooda. “Once you push the required run rate up in T20 games, in domestic cricket it is very difficult for batsmen coming in (later) and chasing ten runs per over in the last eight overs. I understand two overs 20 runs is still easy but eight overs 90 odd runs is never easy,” Chawla said.
Speaking about the partnership, Chawla said, “We bowled well in the partnership. In those seven overs the course of the game changed.”
So what had the senior pro told the young chinaman bowler? “In Bombay there is bounce in the wicket so the moment you flight the ball a bit too much it is easy for the batsman so I told him even if you are bowling slow, bowl a lower trajectory because it is not that easy (to bat). Don’t give the batsman time to come underneath the ball that’s what I was doing and told him the same thing as well and it worked.,” Chawla said
With 47 for one at the end of the powerplay while chasing 164 runs, Baroda were very much in the game with quite a few hard-hitting batsmen in their ranks. However, when the two spinners operated in tandem, the opposition had little manoeuvring space left as they were in trouble at 77 for four at the end of 14 overs.
“It was a crucial spell as they were on top after the first six-seven overs. They were getting runs off every over. And what PC bhai always told me (helped), “Kuldeep said. “He tells me how to bowl, when to give flight to the ball and when not. What kind of trajectory to bowl specially in T20 cricket and what kind of variations to use.”
Speaking about his journey so far, Yadav said, “The most important thing is that I have become fitter than before and become more energetic on the ground and am able to make quick changes (field athletically). In the bowling too I have learnt a lot since I have been able to spent time with lot of seniors like Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir), Wasim bhai (Wasim Akram), Brad Hogg and Sunil Narine. It is about implementing that here.
“Their advice is to never take pressure and back your strengths; bowl to your strength. My strength is to spin the ball and turn; I don’t use a lot of pace. I have added a few variations. Whenever I try to bowl with more pace I have conceded runs,” he explained.
With the title under the belt UP were happy lot as they celebrated the victory. “It is always good to get a win under the belt and especially nine on the trot, the way we played as team, the guys did a fantastic job and all the youngsters and everyone did a really good job,” Chawla concluded.
