Virender Sehwag credits spin duo Chahal and Kuldeep for India’s series win

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, while analyzing the team’s first ever series win in South Africa, credited wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for the historic feat. He thinks that this was perhaps one of the rare times when it was the bowlers who won them matches. With their 73-run victory in the fifth ODI on Tuesday, India won the six-match series and are currently leading 4-1 in the six-match series with one match to go. Kuldeep and Chahal shared 30 wickets among them in five matches.

The 30 wickets scalped by the spin duo is the most by India‘s spinners in a bilateral ODI series. While Kuldeep picked up 16 wickets, Chahal has bagged 14. The previous most was 27 against England in the. six-match series at home in 2006. Thanks to their terrific bowling, this was South Africa’s first loss at home in nine series since losing 1-2 to Pakistan in 2013.

Big achievement

“It is not an easy task to beat South Africa in South Africa. It is a big achievement for India. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are the biggest positives for India in the ODI series. What Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh couldn’t do, Kuldeep and Chahal have done it,” Sehwag said on “Cricket Ki Baat” show.

“This is probably the first time where India have found two match-winning bowlers out of an ODI series. Earlier, we used to discover new batsmen. Kuldeep and Chahal should definitely get the credit,” he added.

The sixth and final ODI, which is also a dead rubber, will be played tomorrow (February 16). Having already won the series, it will be interesting to see if captain Virat Kohli fields some of the reserved players, or wishes to go out all guns blazing to clinch the last game as well. The six-match ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series beginning on February 18.