Former Indian cricketer and commentator Deep Dasgupta has opened up on the wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav being left out of the playing XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, which is currently underway.
Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, the former keeper-batter reckoned that a bowler like Kuldeep needs more backing from the outside when compared to other players. He went on to add that the wrist-spinner had good days under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.
“Spinners in general are of two types. Some are naturally confident no matter what, and others for whom confidence is external and they need backing. I think Kuldeep needs backing. Look at his best periods. It has been when MS was behind the stumps. I feel he needs that validation more compared to other bowlers. And when you don’t get that and are not playing regularly, he does not get the confidence he needs. Some players are like that,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
For the unversed, Kuldeep picked up only one wicket in 25 overs in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Deep felt that not being part of the XI could also play on the wrist-spinner’s mind and confidence.
“Him not playing regularly or getting dropped does not help. It plays slightly more on his confidence and mind, as compared to someone like Yuzi Chahal or even Ashwin, for that matter, if I talk of his contemporaries,” he added.
“Kuldeep’s case has been tough. His pace is less. And a big reason for this is that the right portion of his hand opens up very fast towards the leg stump, and then he bowls only with the arm. He was dropped for this before as well and did work on it. He changed his run-up and made it slightly quicker. But even now, the issue is there. The zip off the pitch becomes problematic,” he said.
“You can question that this was his action even before, so what is the difference now? The problem is that five years earlier, he was still younger and stronger, and with age, strength and power do go down a bit. On a slow pitch, the turn is very slow, so batters can manage. You try to bowl a bit faster. But when you do that, you compromise on spin. As he is only bowling with the arm and trying to bowl fast, he is not getting as much purchase and turn. It’s not like he cannot change it, though. It is about alignment,” he concluded.
