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3 reasons why Kuldeep Yadav is a better spinner for India than Ravichandran Ashwin in longer run
Kuldeep Yadav has been brilliant with the ball for India in the ongoing Test series against England. The chinaman spinner has been able to take wickets whenever the skipper has given him the ball. In fact, Kuldeep was always destined for greatness. However, the fact that the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had already established themselves and could bat better than the unorthodox spinner made his place in the playing XI difficult.
For the first time in a long time, India has given a longer run in the playing XI for India in a Test series for Kuldeep. The 29-year-old has been the best spinner in the series by some margin. The fact that he has been able to thrive against Bazball speaks volumes about his abilities. Ashwin, on the other hand, is already 37 and will be 38 by the end of the WTC final in 2025. India will have to think of the options to replace him in the upcoming days.
Here are the three reasons why Kuldeep Yadav is the right guy to replace Ravichandran Ashwin in India’s XI in the upcoming years.
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3. Ability to spin irrespective of the nature of pitches
Three reasons why Kuldeep Yadav is the right guy to replace Ravichandran Ashwin in India’s XI in the upcoming years (Source: X)
By nature, Kuldeep is a chinaman spinner. He can turn the ball either way despite being a left-arm bowler, which is a rarity in cricket. He is arguably the greatest chinaman spinner of all time to have played all the formats of the game. Shows how difficult it is to master the art in itself. Even by doing it, he has been more successful than many orthodox spinners.
He has the uncanny ability to spin the ball both ways irrespective of the nature of the pitches. For instance, in Dharamshala 2017 and Sydney 2019 against Australia, on a pace-friendly track and a relatively flatter deck, Kuldeep was able to make an impact by being the only bowler to turn the ball as much as he did. He got the wickets as well.
2. Unorthodox nature
Three reasons why Kuldeep Yadav is the right guy to replace Ravichandran Ashwin in India’s XI in the upcoming years (Source: X)
Kuldeep Yadav is an unorthodox spinner. Bowling from his angle, the batters do not get to face as many spinners like him. He is a rare spinner who can vary the pace and have control over his lengths despite being a two-way spinner. One cannot read his spin just by seeing the way he bowls. He is a very quick learner too.
When the batters seemed to have read him in 2019, Kuldeep went back to domestic cricket and worked on his ability to be unpredictable. He can now be wary of the pace and read the minds of the batters. He is now a better version than he was a couple of years ago. The latest version of Kuldeep is here to stay with better control over lines and lengths.
1. Better wicket-taking abilities
Three reasons why Kuldeep Yadav is the right guy to replace Ravichandran Ashwin in India’s XI in the upcoming years (Source: X)
Kuldeep is a wicket-taking bowler. The star spinner always looks to claim wickets. Make no mistake, he can control the flow of runs as well. But in Test cricket, particularly in the current era, claiming wickets is more important than controlling the flow of runs. Much like Ashwin, Kuldeep is also a thinking bowler and reacts well to the intent of the batters.
For a spinner, Kuldeep has a bowling SR in the early 40s. For a spinner, it is a great number. Not many spinners in the past or among the present ones boast of such numbers. It helps the team a big cause. The batters who go for runs often can get trapped by Kuldeep who can turn the ball two ways.