After winning the third ODI against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Team India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 5-match ODI series.
Reflecting on the victory, the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli lauded the performance of Jasprit Bumrah who picked up his maiden five-wicket haul.
The Indian Captain who has been speaking about experimenting with the team combination hinted on testing the bench strength in the post-match presentation. “We have a squad of 15, we'll look to give some of the other guys a go. Having won the series already, we can afford to give those guys a go,” Virat said.
The chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav who made his ODI debut in West Indies could well be an option in the playing XI, for the 4th ODI.
Speaking with the media ahead of the 4th ODI, Kuldeep focused on the attacking mindset with which he plays the ODIs. “My thought process is very simple. Taking wickets should be a habit for the bowlers. If you are not taking wickets for the team then you are an ordinary bowler. Taking even 2-3 wickets is beneficial for the team and my bowling style is only about taking wickets,” added Kuldeep.
When asked on the change in approach from Test cricket to ODI cricket, he iterated, “There is a lot of change, red ball to white ball. It is a bit difficult when you come from Test cricket to ODIs as the batsmen look to attack you more in limited overs cricket. While in Test cricket you have to work harder to get wickets, ODI cricket too is challenging as you only have 10 overs to bowl and the batsmen are taking chances against you to score more runs.”
In the five ODI matches that Kuldeep has played till now, he has eight scalps under his name. The wrist-spinner is constantly searching for wickets to put the opposition under pressure. “My style isn’t about restricting runs. If I try to restrict runs I will probably end up conceding more runs. So, I look to take wickets so that the team benefits from it and the opposition also comes under pressure. It is good for the team as the more you take wickets the more it is better to get them bowled out quickly,’ he added.
From making his Test debut against Australia in the 4th Test at Dharamsala to donning the blue jersey in the West Indies, Kuldeep has come a far way and has matured with each game that he has played.
“As spinners play more games they keep on improving. In the last six months, I have learnt a lot from the bowling point of view, especially how you can handle pressure. As you face better batsmen, you will feel pressure and how you overcome that, these things you learn when you play matches. And in these six months I have learnt a lot about my bowling. I keep working in the nets and hopefully in the future, if I keep playing, I will earn more experience like this,” added Kuldeep.
When asked about the prospect of Virat playing two wrist-spinners in a game and the inputs he receives from the Indian skipper, Kuldeep said, ‘Virat bhai keeps telling me to just work on my fitness more than other things. He just keeps telling me to do more hard work on my fitness as well as my bowling. It is good that the skipper believes in me and believes in wrist spinners. It’s good for the team.”
The former India Captain, MS Dhoni is all set to play his 300th ODI and the chinaman bowler was all praise for the legend.
“There is no word to describe him. If you interact with him, like I have been doing for the last six months, I keep talking to him about my bowling. When I am playing a match, then also I keep talking to him, there is no one better than him to judge you because he is watching from behind the wicket and he keeps telling me what I need to. I feel very proud that I am playing with him and very lucky that I could be playing in his 300th game,” he added.
