Kuldeep Yadav capable of playing big role on Australian pitches, says Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar showered praises on spinner Kuldeep Yadav and said he’s capable of creating an impact on Australian pitches. Kuldeep wasn’t effective in the first innings of the Rajkot Test against the Windies, but in the second innings, he led the charge with the ball. The left-arm chinaman spinner bagged the important wickets of Kieran Powell, Shai Hope and Roston Chase along his way to a maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, finishing with figures of 5/57.

Kuldeep was instrumental in India’s rout over the Windies, who were humiliated by the hosts in Rajkot. India registered their biggest ever Test victory, winning the match by an innings and 272 runs. Their previous biggest win was in fact in their last home Test against Afghanistan, where they defeated the newcomers by an innings and 262 runs.

Kuldeep has got guts: Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar believes Kuldeep’s approach in Test match cricket will carry him a long way, especially with several important series up ahead. “The way Kuldeep recovered after the first innings, the way he adjusted his length, the way he went round the wicket, shows that he is a thinking bowler. About the fact that he has got guts, he has got a big heart to take punishment, there has never been a second opinion about that,” he was quoted as saying in India Today.

“He has always been a gutsy bowler because wrist spinners, will always bowl the odd full-toss, the odd short-pitched delivery and they will get punished but to come back after that and to keep persisting is what makes him a bit different than a lot of other bowlers,” Gavaskar added.

He also emphasised on the fact that Kuldeep’s guile and trajectory could possibly make him the most potent amongst the Indian spinners on Australia’s pitches.

“On the Australian pitches, where the bowl bounces a lot more and there is turn for the wrist spinners as we have seen with Shane Warne, the Indian selection committee will think very seriously. If not for the first Test because the square boundaries at Adelaide are little bit short and he might get a little punished over there but other grounds, where the square boundaries aren’t that short, he certainly has to come in the frame for a place in the XI,” Gavaskar said.

India will travel to Australia to play three T20Is, four Tests and three ODIs from November 21 to January 18.

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