India vs Sri Lanka: Video analysis helps Kuldeep Yadav return stronger

Kuldeep Yadav emerged mentally stronger and possibly physically better after having worked on his bowling plans and his understanding of the game.

For Kuldeep Yadav, 2019 was the year of self-realisation. With little going as per plan on the field—a forgettable IPL season followed by a below-par World Cup, both tournaments seeing him dropped before the end—India’s first chinaman bowler was forced to revisit the drawing board.

Indian bowler Kuldeep Yadav celebrates the wicket of Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Perera with Virat Kohli. (PTI)

It helped, for Yadav emerged mentally stronger and possibly physically better after having worked on his bowling plans and his understanding of the game. It wasn’t an easy re-entry into the India squad for him -- with different spin options being tried out in preparation for the T20 World Cup, Yadav had to sit out of T20Is against West Indies and South Africa.

But the lack of game-time, he says, was a blessing in disguise. “It (2019) was a tough one. I learned a lot of things and the biggest positive was getting to know that I could have planned things better. If I thought more and gave more time to myself, I could have performed better,” Yadav said at the MCA Stadium, on the eve of the T20 series decider against Sri Lanka.

At one point, Yadav’s bowling became too predictable and as a result he started conceding easy runs, which in turn ensured that the wickets started drying up. Once bitten, he is confident of not falling in the trap again, focussing on upgrading his bowling on a constant basis.

“Now I take the help of video analysts. I also speak to the bowling coach in the nets about the strengths and weakness of various batsmen to know how he bats on the ground,” said Yadav. “Now everyone knows how Kuldeep bowls—he is a chinaman, who has wrong ‘uns, flippers. SoS I have to bring changes in my bowling, which the batsman cannot figure out.”

An attacking bowler, Yadav doesn’t want to curtail that part of his game which has brought him success. And does he want to only focus on containing the opponents. “If there is a partnership going on, I feel like I should push for a wicket and stop runs. Whenever I am bowling and there is a set batsman, I try to take a chance and get their wicket to put pressure on the opposition. And at the same time, I try to contain,” he said.

Yadav returned to India’s playing eleven for the ODIs against the West Indies in the Caribbean. And when they visited India, Yadav became the first Indian bowler to claim two hattricks in ODI cricket -- the second set arriving in Visakhapatnam last month.

While it remains to be seen who among Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal and Yadav gets the nod for the T20 World Cup, the Uttar Pradesh spinner has done his case no harm.