"He has shown that he can make a difference"-Sunil Gavaskar praises Kuldeep Yadav
He highlighted that in limited-overs cricket, taking wickets is equivalent to delivering the best dot balls.
Crickate
The legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has praised the outstanding performance of India's star spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Yadav has been a standout performer, taking nine wickets in only four encounters to become the tournament's leading wicket-taker for the Men in Blue. With an impressive economy rate of 3.70, Yadav has played a crucial role in India's Asia Cup voyage.
Gavaskar praised Yadav's wrist-spin prowess, highlighting the fact that wrist spinners, whether right-arm or left-arm, have the ability to take crucial wickets. In limited-overs cricket, taking wickets is equivalent to delivering the finest dot balls, he emphasized. Furthermore, Gavaskar commended Yadav's tactical approach of bowling flatter and turning the ball, making him a formidable force for the opposition.
Despite missing the Super Four match against Bangladesh, Yadav is expected to play against Sri Lanka in Colombo on September 17. His participation in the decisive match will be a game-changer for India.
"Kuldeep has demonstrated his ability to make a difference. Either right-arm or left-arm wrist spin can result in stumps. And the greatest dot balls in limited overs cricket are wickets. Also, the fact that he is bowling a little flatter, not providing that much air, getting the ball to spin, makes him difficult to play," Gavaskar said as quoted by India Today.
Gavaskar also advised the Indian batsmen on how to handle the left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage of Sri Lanka. Wellalage, who took five wickets against the Indian batting order in the previous match, has emerged as a potential threat. He is in contention for the tournament's best wicket-taker with ten scalps from five matches.
Gavaskar suggested that the Indian batsmen take a different approach, effectively disrupting Wellalage's length with their footwork. While acknowledging the difficult conditions, he emphasized the significance of employing quick footwork whenever he delivers a spinner. He advised against attempting lofted efforts unless the pitch was conducive to them.
"I believe they would attempt to reach the ball's location as quickly as feasible. It is not simple to consistently throw the ball up. However, whenever he offers the ball a slight amount of air, you must drive him with quick footwork. Unless the pitch is level and there is little to no turn, avoid lofting him. Make him ponder," he concluded.
