IND vs ENG 2024: You are more involved and focused against such an attacking batting approach – Kuldeep Yadav on bowling against England

India’s wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav said he is more involved and focused against such an attacking batting line-up against England. While Yadav could not make the cut into the playing XI for the first Test match at Hyderabad, he was added to the second Test after Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Kuldeep bagged three wickets in the first innings at Vizag and took one more in the second essay. The left-arm wrist spinner has scalped 38 wickets in nine Test matches at an impressive average of 22.74.

“Usually in Test cricket, you are not used to having someone with such an attacking batting approach,” Kuldeep said two days out from the third Test in Rajkot. “But at the same time you are more involved in the game. As a spinner you are more focused on the game, how you are going to bowl and what your approach will be.

“Sometimes in Test cricket, you are not overly worried if the batter would attack and you focus on how to dismiss them. But here the approach is different, they are in attacking mode so you have to plan on how to restrict them because (if they are) playing more shots then more opportunities are being created to take a wicket. It is interesting, the last game was my first (of the series) and I enjoyed it a lot and it is good for cricket too.”

Meanwhile, the first two Test matches have gone down to the wire. India won the second Test at Vizag with Jasprit Bumrah bagging nine wickets on a flat pitch whereas Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a majestic 209. Yadav reckons it is important for the curator to maintain the right balance between bat and ball.

“I feel that keeping our batting in mind, batting too is important for us, and not just spin bowling. But if you see overall, everything is important,” Kuldeep reckoned. “The fast bowlers also come into play, like you saw in the last match. So (good wickets) are good for cricket. It is not (the case) that you will not get to see rank turners going forward. Hopefully, in the future you will see (turning tracks).”

Should turning tracks be the way to go for India’s home Tests? “I do not know that, I enjoy playing whenever I should get an opportunity to play, whether it is on a flat track or on a rank turner,” Kuldeep said.

The third Test match between India and England will be played at Rajkot from 15th February onwards.