While the Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is facing the fitness issues in the recent time, the left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav is growing up as a top-spinner of the nation. Recently, the Indian national cricket team‘s head coach Ravi Shastri claimed that Kuldeep Yadav would be India’s no.1 spinner in overseas conditions. Another senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has now defended Ravi Shastri’s words on Kuldeep Yadav.
Kuldeep Yadav has played two Tests outside the Asian soil. After having the wicketless experiences in the Lord’s Test in last August, the young spinner featured in the Sydney Test in this January where he claimed a five-wicket haul.
On this week, Ravi Shastri claimed that Kuldeep Yadav would be India’s no.1 spinner in overseas conditions. Now, Harbhajan Singh has agreed on this view.
The senior off-spinner said to India Today, “With what Ravi bhai (Shastri) has said about Kuldeep being your no.1 spinner in overseas conditions, I think the team is now going to that zone where they are looking for wicket taking options,”
In the 2018 England tour, Ravichandran Ashwin started very well but failed to capitalize that performance further in that series. Harbhajan Singh pointed out those performances during his comparison between Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav.
Harbhajan Singh added, “Look, R Ashwin started off so well in England and was a joy to watch in the first Test, but he lost his way as the series progressed and Moeen Ali overshadowed him. It’s a tough call but I am sure it’s in the best interest of the team.”
Ashwin’s home record is impressive, but his overseas record is not the same
Harbhajan Singh further pointed out that Ravichandran Ashwin’s home and away record has high differences.
Harbhajan Singh said, “Ashwin’s home record is impressive, but his overseas record is not the same. That’s why the team management seem to think Kuldeep should be preferred over Ashwin.”
Harbhajan Singh also praised another left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. The senior off-spinner feels that both the left-arm spinners can look forward from now.
He quoted, “Kuldeep Yadav made most of the opportunity he got. To get five wickets away like he did at Sydney is no mean task. I think Ravindra Jadeja did well too by performing at Melbourne, Sydney and at the Oval in England. So, I think this spin duo could take things forward from here.”
Wrist spinners vs. finger spinners
In today’s cricket, the wrist spinners have the higher demand than the finger spinners. Talking about the differences between them, Harbhajan Singh pointed out the variations in their bowling. He claimed that the wrist spinners came with some useful variety of bowling skills, but the finger spinners had limited options.
The senior off-spinner elaborated it, “Wrist spinners are in demand simply because they have more variations. You have a leg spinner, a googly, a flipper and top spinner. Then of course you have other small variations like deceiving in the flight.
“Talking about finger spinners, if you are an off spinner who does not have a ‘doosra’ or a carrom ball or a ball that goes away, your difficulty will compound. Unless you are a Muralitharan who would spin so big that you know runs will only come from the leg side because if the batsmen tries to hit through the off side it will still create wicket taking opportunities. To survive in today’s cricket, you need more than one variation.”
The 24-year-old Kuldeep Yadav is gradually growing up as an essential spinner of the nation. He has impressed with his bowling skills in every format. Now, the team management is looking forward to building up Kuldeep Yadav as India’s no.1 overseas spinner.