'It's not about conditions, I rely on my skills' - Kuldeep Yadav after ripping England apart in Dharamsala Test

India trail by 83 runs with nine wickets remaining in their 1st innings, at the end of Day 1 of the 5th Test on Thursday in Dharamsala. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who reached the milestone of 1000 Test runs today, was the only Indian batter dismissed. Earlier in the day, England were bowled out for 218 in their 1^st innings. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the Indian bowlers and returned with figures of 5/72. Ravichandran Ashwin, in his 100^th Test, also picked up four wickets. Yadav spoke exclusively to JioCinema on ‘Match Centre Live’ post the day’s play.

Excerpts:

On playing in Dharamsala: It's lovely to be back here, after my debut. I know the conditions well, have played domestic cricket here, so that helps. The wicket is good to bat on, so the aim was to spin the ball more, use the wind and generate more drift, because that helps you on flatter pitches.

On the change in his game: I'm enjoying my game. There has been a lot of hard work, since the injury of 2021 and these are the rewards for it. It's about consistency in length and pace variations when you are bowling in India and that is all I am doing and enjoying it.

On his dismissals in the match: I really enjoyed the Zak Crawley wicket; he has batted well through the series and is a good player of spin. To get him out, you really have to produce some magic and it was a beautiful ball and I really loved it.

Also read: Kuldeep Yadav bamboozles Zak Crawley, reminds fans of famous Babar Azam dismissal

On the role of spinners in the starting days of a Test match: For me, it's not about the conditions. I am someone who relies on my skills and length. I have played a lot of white ball cricket, on flat tracks. So, for me, it's more about my skill and variations and not so much about the conditions.

On his consistent line and length: It's about hard work. I have put in a lot of hard work. I have been playing for long and there's a sense of maturity that comes with it, so that has helped me with the consistency.

Also read: IND vs ENG 2024: Kuldeep-Ashwin insist each other to lead the team back towards the pavilion in a heart-warming moment

On discussion with Ashwin and Jadeja: We never discuss about our roles. They keep suggesting me with things to try but there's no compulsion to implement the same.