Kuldeep Yadav said he requires ‘more time’ to improve as a Test bowler. (AP Photo)Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is playing his first Test on Australian soil, said he needed more time to improve as a Test bowler, stressing on the fact that playing red-ball cricket is important for his growth. The leg-spinner on Day 3 scalped three crucial wickets, as Australia were reduced to 236/6 in response to India’s mammoth 622 first innings total.
Speaking during the press conference after the end of day’s play, Kuldeep said, “To be very honest I haven’t changed anything (for bowling in Australia). I am playing my first Test in this series and so was nervous.” He added, “I have played enough cricket to have decent enough knowledge but in Test cricket I will need a little more time perhaps to improve. The more you play with red ball the more you can improve.”
The 24-year-old spinner also emphasised on the fact that there is no substitute to ‘match experience’ when it comes to improving as a bowler. “Test cricket is similar – the more you play the better you can read batsmen. There is time enough to plan for batsmen, you can bowl more overs and change fields,” he said.
“There is more pressure (when you play red ball cricket after white ball cricket) … you need at least 10 days as a leg-spinner to change your mindset and control things. If you are bowling in the nets you can improve a bit but if you are playing more matches, you improve more. You need match practice, because four-day and Test cricket is very different from ODIs.”
After being dropped midway from the England tour and with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja already in the side, Kuldeep said he is motivated to fight for his spot in the Test squad. “When I came from Lord’s Test, I bowled for a week with my coach and played India-A Test series against Australia-A. I performed well there because when you get rhythm, the ball comes out well and then I played against West Indies and did well,” he said.
“When you know you have Ashwin and Jadeja, best spinners in the world, and you are the third one, so then there is a lot to motivate yourself and learn from them. They keep pushing me in the nets that you have to bowl this way and in good areas. So I am very motivated (to play) and it is important to learn from them because they have played enough cricket. I am still learning.”
Speaking on his approach in the final Test at SCG, the leg-spinner said his prime focus is to stick to the basics of spin bowling and beating batsmen in flight, rather than experimenting too much.
“Sometimes it’s hard when batsmen are picking you. You have to keep learning every day and I am still learning every day. England tour was challenging for me, especially the Lord’s Test. I have worked on my bowling with my coach after that. For a spinner, it is very important to follow the basic thing of spin bowling – give little flight, turn the ball and land in perfect area to deceive the batsmen in air. That’s more important for me and I am still working on that. I don’t believe in mystery spin; if you are good enough to deceive the batsmen in air that’s more important for me,” he said.
Kuldeep first trapped Usman Khawaja in the 72nd over of the Australian innings and then went on take vital wickets of Travis Head and Tim Paine. Speaking on Khwaja’s dismissal, the leg-spinner said, “I was thinking of bowling wrong ones to Khawaja. A couple overs ago I was bowling over the wicket and I knew that he would come after me, maybe hit at midwicket or mid on. I was lucky that the wrong one pitched in the perfect area and straightened and he hit to mid-wicket.”
He also thanked former India skipper MS Dhoni, saying the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman has helped him in limited over formats. “It is easier in ODIs because Dhoni is there. He has played so much more cricket and he keeps telling you what to do.”
“Definitely, I also get help from senior players like Virat Kohli. Even Rishabh Pant helps me, and all wicket-keepers help spinners telling them what to do,” the leg-spinner added.
Praising the fielders, Kuldeep said, “We have the best fielding coach in R Sridhar. We are really working on slip fielding and catching at short leg, silly point, and general fielding as well. I feel we are the best catching team in the world when it comes to fielding.”
