Surprised by the spin on offer during the third T20I at The Wanderers, Kuldeep Yadav remarked that the South African wickets, typically renowned for their pace and bounce, are also proving favorable to spinners in the ongoing tour.
Kuldeep celebrated his 29th birthday on Thursday, making it a perfect day as he became only the second Indian bowler to secure multiple five-wicket hauls in T20Is, following Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Notably, he became the first Indian spinner to achieve this milestone.
Both Kuldeep and Bhuvneshwar now boast two fifers in T20Is. Reflecting on his stellar performance, Kuldeep shared, “It turned out to be a special day. I have never thought about taking five wickets. I just wanted the team to win, which is more important.”
Expressing his concerns about returning to bowling after a hiatus, Kuldeep stated, “I was concerned about my bowling because I was playing after some time, so wanted to get my rhythm. It was perfect today. The ball was coming out well from the hand, and the conditions too suited the spinners a bit.”
Kuldeep concluded the match with impressive figures of 5/17 from 2.5 overs as India convincingly beat South Africa by 106 runs, leveling the three-match T20 series at 1-1.
“To be very honest, the wickets are very good for the spinners. The good thing about these wickets is that the ball comes very quickly after pitching. So sometimes, you have to vary your variations, and if you get it right, then it is very difficult to pick,” he added.
Having last played in South Africa in 2018, Kuldeep’s career faced a setback in 2021 due to a knee injury that required surgery, keeping him sidelined for 6-7 months. However, he successfully returned to the field with a new technique.
“In 2018, I was very new, and after that, for a couple of years, I struggled with my injury.
Post-surgery, I came back and made a few changes in my bowling, especially in my run-up. Trying to be more aggressive and just trying to bowl much straighter and focusing on length,” Kuldeep shared.