Ignored yet indispensable: Unveiling the enigmatic journey of Kuldeep Yadav's Test career

The serene Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Dharamshala holds a significant place in Kuldeep Yadav's cricketing journey. It was here that the talented left-arm wrist-spinner marked his Test debut against Australia back in 2017.

Now, returning to the foothills of the Himalayas, the 29-year-old from Kanpur showcased a spin masterclass during the fifth Test of the ongoing five-match series against England, delivering an unchanged spell of 15-1-72-5 from the press box end, which triggered a notable collapse in the opposition lineup on the opening day.

With 51 wickets to his name, Kuldeep boasts an impressive Test bowling average of 21.10. Remarkably, he has secured four five-wicket hauls and three four-wicket hauls in his seven-year career.

However, his tally of Tests played remains relatively low: at 12, including the ongoing fixture. Prior to this series, he featured in only eight Tests.

Despite the stats being in his favour, Kuldeep has often found himself on the sidelines when it comes to team selection. At home, he has been overlooked to accommodate all-rounders like Axar Patel as a third spinner.

‘Best option’

In overseas matches, especially in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia, where only one specialist spinner is preferred, Ravindra Jadeja has been favoured due to his batting abilities.

Even when Kuldeep did make it into the XI, as seen in the Lord’s Test in 2018, he was underutilised, bowling just nine overs throughout the match.

Despite these challenges, Kuldeep managed to showcase his prowess in Sydney the following year, claiming a five-for. Indian head coach Ravi Shastri hailed him as India’s "best overseas spin option."

However, he has not played a Test match outside the country since then. Furthermore, there was an instance when, despite being part of the squad, the team management opted for uncapped left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, sidelining Kuldeep, in the match against South Africa at Ranchi.

The reasons behind Kuldeep's prolonged absence from the playing XI are multifaceted. While injuries and fluctuations in form have played a role, they cannot solely account for his limited opportunities.

Nonetheless, Kuldeep has seen increased opportunities in the XI under the leadership of Rohit Sharma compared to other Indian captains. Sharma believes that following his recovery from injury and some adjustments to his bowling action, Kuldeep has transformed into a different bowler altogether.

“Kuldeep, in the last two years, has been bowling differently. Even in white-ball cricket, since he has come back from his knee injury, he seems to be a different bowler. There's a bit of bite in his bowling, a bit of drift in his bowling, he's putting so much effort into his bowling, into his rhythm and everything. He's changed a lot of things after he's come back from his injury, which is what you see differently now in these last two-three years that he has played,” Sharma said prior to the Dharamshala Test.

As Kuldeep's performance dazzles, let’s hope the team management maintains their confidence in him for future matches.