Follow UsAfter missing India’s last 12 Tests, Kuldeep Yadav made an instant impact, taking just eight deliveries to claim a wicket on day one of the first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad on October 2 (Thursday).
The left-arm wrist-spinner last featured in a Test in Bengaluru in October 2024 against New Zealand. He missed the final two Tests of that series and sat out all five matches each in India’s tours of Australia and England.
India’s team management faced heavy criticism for leaving Kuldeep out in England in favor of additional batting depth. The criticisms were justified. Kuldeep boasts phenomenal Test numbers - 57 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 21.89, along with the fourth-best strike rate (36.85) in the history of Test cricket for bowlers with at least 200 deliveries.
Ahead of this Test, there was even a possibility that Axar Patel might get the nod over Kuldeep, but the 30-year-old’s form and performance in the Asia Cup 2025 made it impossible to leave him out. Kuldeep finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker, claiming 17 scalps in seven games at an astonishing average of 9.29.
With inexperienced West Indies batters in front of him, it was always going to be difficult for them to handle Kuldeep. After Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah claimed the first four wickets, Kuldeep was brought into the attack in the 22nd over.
It took just one over for him to settle in before outfoxing Shai Hope with a beautifully flighted delivery that drifted across. Hope, batting on 26, was lured into a drive outside off, only for the ball to spin back, miss the inside edge, and hit the off-stump.
By the end of the first session, India were 90/5 in 23.2 overs, firmly in control of the Test, with Kuldeep already leaving a mark.
With four home Tests scheduled over the next two months, Kuldeep will be eager to make every spell count, ensuring he becomes an un-droppable force in any conditions or team combination.