ENGLAND’s AGGRESSIVE TACTICS AIMED AT ACTIVELY ENGAGING KULDEEP, KEEPING HIM “MORE INVOLVED” AND “FOCUSED.”
Kuldeep Yadav doesn’t shy away from batters taking aggressive shots against him.
In fact, he embraces the challenge, believing it keeps him “more focused” and contributes to an attractive style of cricket overall.
“Typically in Test cricket, you don’t encounter such aggressive batting approaches,” Kuldeep remarked two days ahead of the third Test in Rajkot.
“But it keeps you deeply engaged in the game.
As a spinner, you’re constantly honing your focus on your bowling strategy and execution.
“In Test cricket, you might not always worry if a batsman is attacking, you focus more on how to dismiss them.
But with this approach, you have to strategize on how to contain them because more aggressive shots create more opportunities for wickets.
It’s intriguing; the last match was my first of the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It’s also beneficial for the sport.”
The first two Tests of the series featured slow-turning pitches, as Kuldeep described.
While Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley took charge in Hyderabad, Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal fought back on a more balanced track in Visakhapatnam.
Kuldeep believes that such pitches are beneficial for cricket overall.
“I believe that, taking our batting into account, it’s important to have balanced wickets, not just favorable for spin bowling.
But overall, every aspect of the game is crucial,” Kuldeep explained.
“Even the fast bowlers come into play, as we saw in the last match.
So, good wickets are good for cricket.
It’s not that we won’t see rank turners in the future.
Hopefully, we’ll witness them.”
Should turning tracks be the preferred choice for India’s home Tests?
“I’m not sure about that.
I enjoy playing whenever I get the opportunity, whether it’s on a flat track or a rank turner,” Kuldeep stated.
“I haven’t played much on rank turners.
I wasn’t part of the last home series.
So, I’m not sure about our approach or strategy.
It’s primarily the team management’s decision.
Of course, everyone wants to witness exciting cricket.
For that, good wickets are essential,” Kuldeep added.
Ollie Pope also noted that the pitch in Rajkot appears “quite good,” suggesting England might reconsider their lineup, which has so far centered around playing only one pacer in the series.
“If it remains like this, there’s a chance we’ll play two seamers,” Pope revealed to BBC Sport.
“I don’t want to reveal too much, but currently, there’s a bit more grass on it.
It seems like a decent pitch.
“We usually finalize our decision the day before the Test, as conditions can change, especially under the day-long heat.”
Regardless of the pitch conditions in Rajkot, having Ravindra Jadeja back in the side would be a significant advantage given his all-round abilities.
Kuldeep expressed optimism about Jadeja’s participation in the third Test.
“I believe he will play.
He’s following his routine.
He had a session yesterday, and I think he’s available,” the Indian left-arm legspinner noted.
“If I get the chance to play, I’ll be thrilled.
I don’t dwell too much on whether I’ll be playing or not; I just focus on enjoying my day and working hard.
That’s my approach.”
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