How Kuldeep Yadav’s ‘so-bad-that-it’s-good’ ball finally tamed the devastating Marco Jansen
A change of ends after being taken off the attack did the trick, but it was Kuldeep's courage in keeping Jansen waiting on the slow and short ball, that skidded Proteas short of the target
India's Kuldeep Yadav, second from right, celebrates the wicket of South Africa's Marco Jansen during the first One Day International match between India and South Africa in Ranchi, India, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo)
With his freakishly long limbs, the 6-foot-7 Marco Jansen has a hitting arc that covers almost one-fourth of the pitch – give or take a few inches. With just one giant stride up forward and the swing of the bat held by his unending arms, the South African all-rounder can even reach the balls pitched in the back-of-the-length zone or further up the track. Unlike other batsmen, he doesn’t need to risk charging out of the crease and go searching for the ball and worry about getting stumped.
In a match with many monumental batting efforts, Marco’s 39-ball 70 with 3 sixes – knock was the most devastating innings. After his stupendous Test success on this tour, Marco, from the nation with a rich tradition of all-rounders, showcased his game-changing ability with both bat and the white-ball at Ranchi.
His cat-and-mouse ‘pursuit and evasion’ scrum with India’s star spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the feature duel of the game’s second-half. But for that one false move late in the game, that split-second moment of misjudgment, Marco would have dismantled the prime wicket-taker and almost spoiled India’s day. A Virat Kohli ton in a losing game wouldn’t have had the same aura.
Kuldeep got the South African young star with a virtual long-hop in the 34th over but that was his prize for sticking to the basics. It is only the good guys, those who stick diligently to their plan and don’t doubt their skills, who get wickets off bad balls.
After his 4/68, Kuldeep spoke about his plan on the placid pitch. “You have to mix it up with variations and keep the batsman guessing. So that was my plan personally,” he would say. He would be asked if he told his team mates that getting Marco with a rank short-ball was part of the plan. The spinner would chuckle and say, “Not really, because he was hitting everywhere. Whenever we bowled a good ball, he was going for the big ones … sometimes you get lucky with those deliveries.”
The bowlers did need a slice of good fortune, on the Ranchi track that was a nightmare for spinners. Bowling on slow and low tracks with dew-drenched balls isn’t a job for the faint hearted. Even against the craftiest spinner in the world today, Marco was winning. Kuldeep would throw everything he had at the tall batsman but the ball still kept flying out of the ground.
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Kuldeep Yadav of India celebrates the wicket of Marco Matthew Breetzke of South Africa the 1st ODI match between India and South Africa at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi, India on November 30, 2025. (Photo: CREIMAS for BCCI)
India’s proven trump card would try to pull back the ball to stay away from the monstrous swing of his willow but would mostly fail. He would try all his variations – cut the flight, bowl faster, try the scrambled variety and even throw in his seam-ups in the mix. He even tried to york the towering South African. Such was Marco’s form and touch, he was still connecting the ball from the middle of the swishing bat. Marco was running away with the game. During his close to 100-runs partnership with Corbin Bosch, he made the Indian bowling unit look uniformly mediocre on the day.
In Kuldeep’s 5th over, Marco totally demystified India’s artful bowler known for his guile. Kuldeep started with a full ball with heavy tweak but Marco swung the bat to send the ball spinning like a top outside the fence. The spinner’s advisors in the team, led by skipper KL Rahul and seniors Rohit Sharma, were asking him to keep being courageous. Rohit could be heard telling him “bowl with the mind-set of a wicket-taker.” Against Marco it wasn’t happening. He would reverse-sweep Kuldeep for a four and in the same over, he would again swing his bat and hit a six. After that 16-run over, a downcast Kuldeep would be taken off, he looked a forlorn figure on the field.
For 10 overs, Kuldeep would be out of attack. KL would try every bowling option to break the partnership but the breakthrough remained elusive. South Africa was getting dangerously close to the Indian target of 350. In the 34th over, Kuldeep was back in attack. This time his end was changed. After ample discussion with KL and Rohit, he started to bowl from the MS Dhoni pavilion end. Once again his advisors wanted him to bowl with a wicket-taking mindset.
But Kuldeep didn’t quite bowl it up. He didn’t trust the surface to help him get Marco. The spinner, worried about the batsman’s massive swing, tried to bowl short and slow. Probably not as short as the first ball of Kuldeep’s new spell. The ball would take its own sweet time to reach Marco. It also didn’t bounce as much as the batsman expected. Marco swung the bat, the trajectory of the ball foxed him, he didn’t time the hit well. The ball didn’t cross the ropes but landed in Ravindra Jadeja’s hands. Maybe, the ball was so bad that it turned out to be good and India got Marco and South Africa.
Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports.
Professional Profile
Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website.
Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week.
Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports.
Areas of Expertise
While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas:
Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant.
Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes.
Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara.
Notable Recent Work & Themes
Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success.
Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War.
The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game.
Tenure and Experience
Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations.
You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More
Kuldeep Yadav of India celebrates the wicket of Marco Matthew Breetzke of South Africa the 1st ODI match between India and South Africa at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi, India on November 30, 2025.
