Bridgetown: The left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav stole the show with the ball in the opening ODI on Thursday (July 27) in Bridgetown, Barbados. He and Ravindra Jadeja each took seven of the ten wickets as the West Indies were dismissed for 114 runs in 23 overs. India won by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
After the hosts had already been reduced to 97 for six, with three wickets taken by Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep entered the fray in the 19th over. The first one wasted little time getting going.
He removed Yannic Cariah in a similar manner in his next over after trapping Dominic Drakes legbrefore with a googly on just his third ball.
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Shai Hope, who scored the most runs for the WI, and Jayden Seales, who batted at No. 11, were both bowled by Kuldeep in his third over, bringing an end to the WI innings and giving him outstanding bowling stats of 4/6 in only three overs, which also included two maidens.
Kuldeep, who was awarded Player of the Match, attributed his success to the procedure and emphasized the importance of lengths for tweakers.
"I don't think too much about taking wickets. I focus on the process - where to bowl and what lengths to be targeting. Process is more important than performance," he said. "Since my return from injury last year, I've been trying to consistently bowl the right lengths. Sometimes you get wickets, sometimes you don't even when you bowl well, but length is very crucial especially for the spinners. When the opposition loses a few wickets, then I try my variations for wickets. Happy with the way I started in the first ODI."
The Kensington Oval's opening ODI was played on a 22-yard strip, which wasn't conducive to batting. There was some extra bounce available, the seamers were able to get the ball to nip off the pitch, and the spinners had some bite.
The two left-arm spinners that India chose to use done most of the work. The two spinners, Gudakesh Motie and Yannic Cariah, took three wickets between them, even for the Caribbean team, helping the visitors cross the finish line with 27.1 overs to spare.
"It was a good wicket for the seamers. The fast bowlers bowled really well. When Jadeja was bowling, it was gripping and turning at the same time. When I started from that end, I was getting the drift as well as the turn. In the second innings, you saw the spell from their spinners - they bowled really well. They were getting the turn and the bounce. It was a good wicket for spinners as well," said Kuldeep.
India played about with the bat a little bit after holding their opponents to a low total. Neither Rohit Sharma nor Virat Kohli batted at the start of the innings. At the top of the order, Ishan Kishan scored a straightforward fifty, but none of the other Indians took advantage of their batting elevation. In fact, India sailed home with five wickets in hand when the skipper was compelled to bat at seven and score the decisive runs.
Kuldeep admitted that his team should have been more effective in the chase, but he predicted that India would display their strength in the following match and win the series.
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India tried out a few different strategies with the bat after limiting their opponents to a low total. Virat Kohli did not bat at position three, and neither did Rohit Sharma start the game. Ishan Kishan scored a straightforward fifty at the top of the order, but none of the other Indians took advantage of their elevated batting position. Actually, India sailed home with five wickets in hand after the captain was compelled to bat at seven and score the decisive runs.
Even though Kuldeep acknowledged that his team could have been more precise in the chase, he predicted that India would display their strength in the upcoming match and win the series.
"We could have chased it down with just one or two wickets down. But they bowled really well. The new guy was very good and the left-armer as well. You want to give opportunities to the younger boys, we did that. In the next game, you'll probably see the full side batting and hopefully we can win the second one and win the series."
Kuldeep is now a consistent member of India's playing XI in the 50-over format, but despite his strong performances in the other formats, the team hasn't always kept him around. The wrist-spinner, however, is unbothered by this and concentrates on the within his or her control.
"On a lot of occasions, the situation and due to the combination, I have to sit out. It's pretty normal for me as I've been playing international cricket for close to six years. I keep myself relaxed when I'm not playing. When you're playing, there's pressure to perform well."
The 2023 World Cup, which is less than three months away, is being prepared for with every ODI. Many players are competing for spots in the mega tournament, and Kuldeep Yadav vs. Yuzvendra Chahal could decide one of those spots.
Both wristspinners competed in the 2019 World Cup, which was held in England, but the pair was split up after one of the group stage matches when England thoroughly trounced them. They haven't played many games together since then, but they still take pleasure in each other's accomplishments.
"We (Kuldeep and Chahal) both know the importance of combination. We have a great understanding. He helps me a lot when I'm playing - what to do, what to change. I replicate the same when he plays. That's why the KulCha pair has been so good over the years. We support and back each other."
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