Australia finding it difficult because they are facing more than eight inches of turn, says Narendra Hirwani

Narendra Hirwani has said that Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have consistently troubled the visiting batsman. Express photo by Partha Paul.

Since taking over as the head spin coach of National Cricket Academy, Former Indian leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani, has helped India form a formidable bench strength of spinners. With veterans, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja leading the pack, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are forming the core group of players.

Complementing the young trio, Hirwani said, “They are reading the batsmen well at the moment. The Aussies have practised for an inch or two inches of spin but they are actually facing more than eight inches of turn. No wonder, they are finding it difficult. When you spin big, then deliveries with lesser turn or the straighter ones give batsmen nightmares. These two have both variation and turn. Most importantly, they know when and how to use those variations.”

Commenting on why the Australians are struggling to read Kuldeep Yadav, Hirwani said, “I don’t think they have any chinaman bowler in Australia domestic cricket, so they are struggling against Kuldeep. Chahal too has matured as a bowler. He is not only keeping it tight but also picking up wickets in middle overs.”

However, Hirwani believes that Chahal and Kuldeep still have to prove themselves at the international level for which they also need experience. “They will only learn when they would get to play enough matches. Unless they get proper opportunity how can you judge their ability to perform under pressure? The team management is doing just that. They were given opportunities in Sri Lanka and now they are getting an opportunity against Australia, which is one of the best teams in the world. In the last one and one-and-half years, different spinners have played in different conditions. In the next series, you might see a different spin combination. It’s always good to have options,” said Hirwani.

“Bench strength doesn’t mean you just have to be with the team. You need to play enough matches to get the feel of international cricket. If a quality player misses out, you should have equally good players as replacements,” he concluded.