Ever-improving Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav believes his childhood habit of bowling on cement wickets in Kanpur has made him battle-ready for any situation
India's rising star, spinner Kuldeep Yadav, believes bowling on concrete has made him battle-ready for any surface that a rival cricket power can lay out for him. Kuldeep, who claimed a hat-trick in his country's triumphant one-day series against Australia, has become a household name at 22 and with just two Tests and 11 one-day internationals to his name. He played a big part in India's 4-1 win over Australia, but many believe the real test will come in tours of South Africa and England next year.
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India's Kuldeep Yadav bowls against Australia during the second ODI at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata last month. Pic /AFP
Ahead of India's series against New Zealand, starting Sunday, Kuldeep said that his varied left-arm wrist spin will be a weapon on any track. "It doesn't matter to me where I am playing because since my childhood I have bowled on cement wickets. If you can turn the ball on concrete then you can spin it anywhere," Kuldeep said.
'It's all about variations'
"If you have skill, good variation and are beating the batsmen in the air then you can find success anywhere," added Kuldeep, who hails from the northern city of Kanpur.
Kuldeep started as a pace bowler but at the age of nine he switched to wrist spin at his coach's insistence. "I started my career in 2004 as a fast bowler. After practicing for a few months my coach advised me to switch to spin. "I did not like it at the start, but the first ball I bowled was wrist spin and I had no idea what it was. So, he must have thought I have a talent and he worked on it."
'Aussies are dangerous'
Kuldeep's rise as a top-class spinner has been instrumental in India becoming top of the world Test and one-day rankings. The latest addition to India's rich spin tradition made an instant impact with four wickets in his debut Test against Australia in Dharamsala this year. He impressed in Sri Lanka in September and then bamboozled Australian batsmen, including star opener David Warner, with his wrist spin, winning many more fans. "Australia are a good team and compared to other sides always play dominating cricket. Their batsmen don't allow you to settle and just want to dominate a bowler.
"Australia are a dangerous side because they play freely and put you under pressure. I played in the West Indies and then in Sri Lanka but they don't play as attacking as the Aussies,"he said. Kuldeep grew up watching videos of spin legend Shane Warne and still calls the Aussie great his reference point in learning the rare art. Warne recently compared Kuldeep to Pakistan's established Test spinner Yasir Shah, saying the Indian can become 'the best leg-spinner' if he remains patient.
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