20-0-160-1. In all likelihood, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will not forget that unflattering stat in a hurry, for not only was it their first real failure, it was also singularly responsible for pushing them out of the Indian team. As English batters plundered 12 fours and nine sixes off their bowling in that World Cup game, 'Kul-Cha's' epitaph was penned in Edgbaston.
Kuldeep and Chahal did not play an ODI together for two years after that, until making the
20-0-160-1. In all likelihood, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will not forget that unflattering stat in a hurry, for not only was it their first real failure, it was also singularly responsible for pushing them out of the Indian team. As English batters plundered 12 fours and nine sixes off their bowling in that World Cup game, 'Kul-Cha's' epitaph was penned in Edgbaston.
Kuldeep and Chahal did not play an ODI together for two years after that, until making the cut in the second-string Indian side that toured Sri Lanka last July. The duo played the first two ODIs, picking seven wickets for 205 runs across 19 overs.
On Wednesday, after a marathon selection meeting that lasted almost half a day, Yadav was recalled for the three-match ODI series against West Indies starting next month, marking the return of the spin twins in earnest in the 50-over format.
BCCI's change of heart came after India's 3-0 ODI whitewash at the hands of South Africa made stark a problem that has been brewing for some time now — a spin attack without any sting.
Rise and fall
If the rise of Chahal and Kuldeep as a combined force in ODIs was swift, their falling out of favour was no less rapid. In his first major assignment as India captain, Virat Kohli took India to the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, before the team faltered at the final hurdle. Coach Anil Kumble parted ways with the team, and the new management decided to move on from the finger-spin pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Back then, India were the only top side to not have a wrist-spinner in their regular XI.
Months later, Kul-Cha made its debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo and promptly became a wicket-taking force in the middle overs. Their combined haul of 125 wickets from 36 matches made them among the first names on the Indian team sheet and kept the experienced duo of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja out of the squad.
In the period between the Champions Trophy final and that fateful England game at the World Cup, Kuldeep (87 wickets at 21.74) and Chahal (66 wickets at 25.68) were the top two wicket-takers in ODI cricket, a key factor in India's ascent. But it took just one game for their fall from grace. Suddenly, they were not hunting in a pair anymore.
Operating on their own coincided with a dramatic dip in their respective form. Before Kul-Cha's recall in Sri Lanka, Chahal turned up for seven ODIs that did not feature Yadav, picking just 10 wickets at an average of 41. Yadav played 13 ODIs without Chahal for his 15 wickets at 31.13. Soon, they were both out of contention.
A fruitless search
The post-Kul-Cha period saw India trying six spinners in ODIs, apart from the occasional slow, low slingers of Kedar Jadhav. Jadeja reentered the fray, his left-arm darts fetching him 14 wickets from 17 matches at an average of 55.64. No other spinner got more than five matches, the confusion reflecting in India's middling 50-over results in this duration: 13 wins, 13 losses, 1 No Result.
India handed debuts to leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (1 match, 3 wickets), off-spinners Krishnappa Gowtham (1 match, 1 wicket), and Jayant Yadav (1 match, 0 wickets). Ashwin made a damp return to ODIs after four-and-a-half years (2 matches, 1 wicket). All-rounder Krunal Pandya was played in five ODIs, and returned with just two wickets.
With each loss, India’s inability to strike in middle overs became increasingly apparent. It wasn’t long before former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh called for Kul-Cha's return. “Why don’t we go back to Kul-Cha combination and see what they can bring to the table?” he told Sports Today recently.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar also batted for Yadav’s return. “I think it's time now to go back to Kuldeep Yadav,” he said on ESPNCricinfo. “I have always been his supporter. There's a place for Kuldeep Yadav in 50-over cricket, especially on pitches like these (South Africa). I think he would've been a game-changer."
Steep hill to climb
The second coming of Yadav and Chahal is unlikely to be easy. Their recent individual form has remained poor. Chahal lacked bite in South Africa, while Yadav needs to find a way to recover when under attack.
Last March, Yadav was picked for the ODI series against the visiting English, and a familiar spectre returned to haunt him. English batters tore into him in the second ODI in Pune, where he conceded 84 runs from his 10 wicketless overs as India failed to defend 336.
Next, he was benched by Kolkata Knight Riders, failing to get a single game in the India leg of IPL 2021. When the league moved to UAE, Yadav twisted his knee during a practice session. A surgery ruled him out of the T20 World Cup. Chahal was ignored for the T20 World Cup.
It has been a rollercoaster for Kul-Cha since their India debut. Under a new coach and captain and with two white-ball World Cups lined up in 18 months, they will be hoping for a more fruitful and less bumpy ride.
One Subscription.
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Archives
HT App & Website