Kuldeep Yadav – The Match-Winner India Keep Waiting On

Kuldeep Yadav has been a part of the Indian Test team for eight years now but played only 13 games till date. What makes it even more surprising is the fact that he has a great bowling average of slightly above 22. His career, being full of potential and talent, was like a story which never quite got an opportunity to really blossom. All this despite occasional moments of brilliance whenever he has been given the ball to bowl with. From his five-wicket match in the Sydney Cricket Ground to another five-for in Chattogram years down the line, Kuldeep has frequently performed with effect but continues to wait for regular chances.

Following that show in Sydney six and a half years ago, Ravi Shastri had goes on record to say boldly that Kuldeep would be India's go-to spinner going ahead if at all just one spinner had to play. Ever since, though, things turned differently. Despite the coaches having transitioned from Shastri to Dravid and now Gautam Gambhir, Kuldeep's appearances for Tests have been sporadic. He has played just a single overseas Test match in all these years. And even after that single match at Chattogram where he played so well, he got dropped once again to accommodate yet another seamer. This has been a common trend for Kuldeep. He performs when he is given the opportunity but tends to be omitted in favor of players thought to provide greater balance or batting depth.

India's Test side has been fortunate to have had two of the game's finest spinners at their disposal in this time. Not only do Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin provide top-class spin bowling, but they are both excellent batsmen as well. Consequently, the team does not often look beyond them. When Kuldeep was on the cusp of settling in as the third spinner in home games, Axar Patel turned up with performances and respectable batting, pushing Kuldeep down in the pecking order. And now, with Ashwin getting closer to the end of his career, a new alternative has emerged in the form of Washington Sundar. He offers the team a safer choice with his off-spin and batting ability, especially when the team needs more depth at number eight.

Even in the current tour of England, with conditions seemingly ideal for a wrist spinner and India looking to bounce back after going 1-0 down, Kuldeep might still miss out. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate added that two spinners are a definite possibility at Edgbaston, but Washington Sundar could be the preferred choice.His potential to turn the ball away from Jadeja's angle, offer control, and bat useful is rated as a better balance for the team. This makes sense from a team strategy perspective, but it continues to bring up the same question about Kuldeep if not now then when?

India's recent collapses at Headingley where they lost clusters of wickets in both innings bring up another significant question. Shardul Thakur was part of the side to provide batting cover but bowled a minimal number of overs and failed to contribute with the bat.When someone makes such safety decisions, it's reasonable to wonder whether a more aggressive option like Kuldeep would have been a better fit for the team.I mean, you take 20 wickets and you win Test matches. Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir have both mentioned this is India's focus.So why do you feel like someone with Kuldeep's aggressive bowling ability is always on the cusp of being selected?

In the Bazball era now where England is playing assertive brand cricket, India may require more than simply secure options. Kuldeep's style of bowling – left-arm wrist spin – adds variety that finger spinners typically lack. He introduces deception, drift, and angle that can cause mischief even on flat tracks. His show in the home series against England was proof of it. He picked 19 wickets with a better average than even Jadeja and Ashwin. Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, for instance, were able to reverse-sweep Indian finger spinners easily but were much less effective when trying to attack Kuldeep who was capable of turning the ball in both ways.

Also noteworthy is that Kuldeep has been also practicing batting. Though he won't score a lot of runs, he has been able to keep his wicket. In Ranchi, he complemented Dhruv Jurel with a gritty performance. At Edgbaston, he's been observed seriously practicing in the nets, not mindlessly slog balls but actually practicing hard. He's also been taking tips from ten Doeschate, attempting to contribute to his batting and add to his value to the team. These are indications of a cricketer who is up for the test, who is training for the chance that never arrives.

India's top order has lately performed well, making huge scores. This allows the team to experiment with a player like Kuldeep who is not going to bat as well as some of the other players but can provide a game-changing contribution with the ball.India accumulated 835 runs in one match recently.If there is ever a time to emphasize wicket-taking potential at the expense of extra batting cover this is it.In today's aggressive cricket climate,being cautious could ironically prove to be the greatest risk.

Nevertheless, as with Kuldeep, these bright moments do not always pan out with him in the starting eleven. There is always one a bit more level headed or one providing more with the bat. But the truth is that there are not many bowlers in Indian cricket today who have that kind of variation and impact ability that Kuldeep Yadav possesses. He is still just 30 years old and twirling away in the nets, waiting for that day when the team finally gives their approval. Whether that does occur at Edgbaston or not remains to be seen. But with each and every passing match where he is not considered does seem like a lost opportunity.