Follow UsKuldeep Yadav has turned a new leaf in his cricketing career, especially since his knee surgery in 2021. He has not just had to work on his fitness but also on his bowling, which seemed off before that. However, with a slightly remodelled action and different run-up, the wrist-spinner finally seems to have rediscovered his art and is bamboozling the batters. His five wickets against Pakistan in Colombo on Monday (September 11) is a true testament to that.
It took a lot of hard work for Kuldeep to make it back to the Indian team. "It's been over one and a half years since I had surgery," Kuldeep said at the press conference following his second ODI fifer.
"The run-up has become straighter. The rhythm has become aggressive. The approach is nice. Maybe my hand used to fall over, but that is well in control and faces the batter more.
"At the same time, I did not lose my spin and drift, and my pace increased - all of which helped me. If a legspinner lands the ball on a good length, there are more chances of [him] picking up a wicket. If you are a legspinner, you tend to bowl a lot of loose balls, but if you become consistent, you can succeed."
Centuries from Virat Kohli (122*) and KL Rahul (111*) initially set up the match for India, as they managed to put up 356 for 2 across two days. Kuldeep then joined the party and finished with 5 for 28 as Pakistan were bowled out for just 128 in 32 overs, with just three batters going past 20.
During his recovery period at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Kuldeep says he worked on his rhythm. He was not pleased with it, even in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or even during the West Indies tour.
"After my surgery, I was out of the game for about five months," he said.
"There were a lot of people who suggested a lot of things, but I did not want to lose my zip, nip or drift. After my three-month rehab post-surgery, my physio - Ashish Koushik at the NCA - suggested that I must do something [to my action] to reduce load on my knee.
"I worked on making my rhythm faster, bowled it in a practice game in Kanpur and found that the batsmen found it difficult [to face]. Then, I returned to the Indian team for the tour of the West Indies but couldn't find my rhythm. Even in the IPL, my rhythm was breaking. It took about six to seven months for [the new action] to work."
Kuldeep now has enough experience to know which batter plays what sort of shot, along with knowing who picks him and who doesn't. It is information like that which has helped him become a deadlier bowler.
"When I was new, I thought of only bowling naturally," he said.
"But as I have played along, I have the experience of knowing which batsman plays what shot and how he picks the ball. So, I bowl accordingly. When the target is big, you know the batsman is going for his shots, but you are also ready for it. That helps in planning your bowling."
What does the fifer mean to Kuldeep? "When I retire, I will always remember that I picked up five wickets against Pakistan. It is a big deal because they are a team that plays spin well. If you do well against a side that plays spin well in the subcontinent, it motivates you," he said.
Kuldeep and the rest of the team have no time to rest as they take on Sri Lanka on Tuesday (September 12) in Colombo. Brace yourselves for another start-stop sort of a day as rain once again threatens to eat away some chunk of the day.