Follow UsKuldeep Yadav has grabbed all the chances he has got in Test cricket, but chances have been far and few in between. Since his Test debut in 2017, the Uttar Pradesh left-arm wrist-spinner has played only 13 Tests, in which he has taken 56 wickets at an average of 22.16. It was symbolic of India’s spin strength, but more importantly, certain selection calls made in England were taken to prolong India’s batting order.
However, Kuldeep understood the reason behind his exclusion while adding that he had clear communication with the management during the course of the series.
"Sometimes, in 3-4 matches, I felt that I could play, but unfortunately, I couldn't play because they wanted batting depth. The communication was very clear. I feel that that is a very important thing," Kuldeep said in the pre-match press conference ahead of India's Asia Cup clash with Oman.
"Gauti was very straightforward. Sometimes, I felt that I could play, but as you know, because of the batting depth, I couldn't. But it was nothing about skill or batting. I couldn't make a place because of the conditions or the combination."
Kuldeep last played for India back in March during the Champions Trophy, but since then, he has been on the periphery. In his comeback match against the UAE, he picked four wickets before grabbing three wickets against Pakistan in the next match.
"Challenges are there because when you play your first game after a while, your rhythm is very important. If you play regular games, your rhythm is set. You have an idea of bowling, or you have an idea of spending time in the field, how you are reacting on the field.
"It was a very good time for me to work on myself, to improve my fitness, and to give more volume to bowling because it is very important. I learned a lot. As a player, you learn a lot when you don't play.
“When the team reacts to situations, you can judge from the outside. You have a lot of ideas about what you would do, how you'd react if you were in this situation. I got a lot of ideas from there. After that, I played the Duleep Trophy match. I was wicketless. I bowled 35 overs. My rhythm was set there, and it was very important for me to bowl there.
"It is very easy to blame someone. And it is very tough to take yourself inside and improve. What am I weak at? What should I work on? How should I become a better player? There are two ways. The player chooses which way he wants to go. But it is very important that you keep working hard, don't leave anything, and always keep playing. The game of cricket always shows you good days and bad days. But if you don't play, you have time to work on yourself and become a better player when you get a chance.
"This is how the game is. When you fail, you learn. Not every game is perfect for you. Not every game is a failure for you. You have to improve. You have to learn how to be better. Whether you pick five or six wickets, you always have hope that you can do better. Sometimes you get wickets, sometimes you don't,” the wrist-spinner added.