In the first ODI at Chennai, India's young spinner Kuldeep Yadav picked two big wickets from the four overs he bowled. His first victim was David Warner, the dangerous opening batsman, and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.
India took a 1-0 lead and the performance of both Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep was highly praised. It was Kuldeep's first ODI against Australia, but he wasn't content. Barely 15 minutes after the game, he had begun planning for the 2nd ODI at Kolkata. Kuldeep was smashed for three sixes and a four in one over by Glenn Maxwell and the spinner was confident he could have done better.
The two days post that rain-truncated ODI in Chennai did not help much as India entered the 2nd ODI without a practice session as the covers were for both days leading up to the ODI. In Kolkata, Kuldeep was introduced in the 16th over, but the action unfolded in his third over when this time Maxwell again cleared the fence on two occasions.
Chahal removed Maxwell from the other end and the onus was on Kuldeep to capitalize. In the 33rd over, history was created at the Eden Gardens for one more time. For ardent cricket fans in Kolkata, it was a trip down the memory lane as Kuldeep removed Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins in three balls to become the third Indian after Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev to take a hat-trick in ODIs.
Incidentally, Kapil Dev too took a hat-trick at the Eden Gardens where Harabhajan Singh too tormented the Aussies in that epic Test with a hat-trick in 2001.
A lot of credit for India's 50 run win goes to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the silent performer who made 20 with the bat in an important 35-run stand with Hardik Pandya for the seventh wicket and bowled a terrific opening spell of 6-2-9-2.
The two stars of the match later forged another partnership in front of the camera as they analyzed the match forbcci.tv.
Here’s what the two discussed.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: You are the third Indian to take a hat-trick? Did you think it was possible?
Kuldeep Yadav: It feels really special now, as that start was not good. With the kind of start I had, I never thought I would end up taking a hat-trick. I did not bowl well from one end and it was getting difficult to grip the ball as it was getting wet. When my end was changed, I wanted to pick one wicket to put the pressure back on Australia. A partnership was built and it was crucial for us to get a breakthrough at that moment. I wanted to try out my variations, but was looking to land the ball in the right areas.
Bhuvi: You play for KKR. You must have felt familiar playing here at the Eden Gardens.
Kuldeep: Yes, I have been playing at the Eden Gardens for a few years now as it is KKR's home ground. The pitch was familiar. It felt like a home ground to me today as well when I stepped out and that is why I wanted to leave a big imprint.
Bhuvi: Let’s talk about your variations and the hat-trick. What was your plan for the hat-trick ball?
Kuldeep: For the hat-trick ball, I didn't think I would get a wicket if the ball spun in. The only way in that scenario would have been a bat-pad opportunity. There was a slip in place so I chose the wrong’un.
Kuldeep: Everyone knows you bowl well with the new ball and are equally effective when the ball gets old. What are the things you focus when you are handed a new ball?
Bhuvi: We knew that we had to take wickets at regular intervals to win the match as our total was 251. I try not to put extra pressure on me and not get too desperate for a wicket. I wanted to swing the ball and bowl as many dots as possible.
Kuldeep: You bowled very well to David Warner. You play for SRH, but I have noticed that he does not read you. You dismissed him cheaply today.
Bhuvi: I know what his strengths and weaknesses are as I bowl a lot to him in the nets. He also knows my weaker areas. He knows what length I am going to bowl, but a lot depends on how well you execute your plans. During Test matches, catches had gone down and today his catch was taken and that is a part and parcel of the game. You need a bit of luck going your way.
Kuldeep: Since the Sri Lanka tour, you have been contributing regularly with the bat. You did that in Chennai and again helped us get a competitive total in Kolkata? Have you changed anything?
Bhuvi: I haven't changed my approach much, but I am a lot more confident about my batting thanks to Assistant Coach Sanjay Bangar. He works hard on my batting in the nets. He said I can contribute with the bat in ODIs too. I know I can't hit sixes like MS Dhoni or Hardik Pandya does, but when there is a situation where you have to bat for 15 or 20 overs, I can handle that well. The half-century in Sri Lanka (53 not out) came under similar circumstances and it gave me a lot of confidence.
Kuldeep: What was your first reaction when Hardik Pandya at the other end got hit by your ferocious stroke?
Bhuvi: I checked my bat just to reconfirm that it was indeed me who struck the ball with so much power. When he got hit, we were all worried. It looked like a serious blow, but thankfully he was alright. Once he was back on his feet, we began planning about building a partnership.
