India wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has come a long way after making his international debut in 2017. In 60 ODIs, he has claimed 104 wickets at an impressive average of 26.16 while his T20I record reads – 39 scalps from 20 games at an economy rate of 7.11.
Kuldeep has also proved his worth in a brief Test career. In 6 Tests, he has picked up 24 wickets at an average of 24.12 with two five-wicket hauls.
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On Saturday (May 2), the left-arm chinaman recalled his debut Test against Australia in Dharamsala, where then head coach Anil Kumble had told him that he had to pick five wickets.
"I get emotional when I remember my Test debut in Dharamsala. The most important thing for me at the time was how to perform. I remember a day before the match, Anil sir came to me and said 'you will play tomorrow, you have to take 5 wickets'," Kuldeep said while speaking to Cricbuzz in their Youtube show Spicy Pitch.
"So, I paused for a second, and then I was like, 'yes sir, I will pick up 5 wickets'. (Laxman) Sivaramakrishnan sir gave me my Test cap. He gave me some advice, I don't remember what, as I was completely blank at the time.
"I was feeling lot of pressure, I was really nervous. I felt that it was a big stage -- how will I perform here. But then I bowled a couple of overs before lunch, and I felt relaxed. I decided to play it like it is a Ranji Trophy match. Test cricket has always been very close to my heart," he added.
Kuldeep Yadav was last seen in action during the New Zealand tour earlier this year. In normal circumstances, he would have been playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has now been suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19 outbreak.
