‘It’s a normal thing now’: Kuldeep Yadav on getting dropped despite performing well

“Most of the times, when I don’t get to play it is because of the situation and combination. It is a normal thing now, I have been playing cricket for so many years, it has been more than six years now. These things are normal,” he told reporters after the match.

In the last nine ODI matches, Kuldeep has bagged 19 wickets and it looks like the 28-year-old with his best days still be ahead of him, has found his groove.

“I don’t think much about taking wickets now. My focus is more on the process that what length I should be bowling,” he said.

“Since the past one and half years, when I have returned from the injury, I have tried to bowl on those good lengths. I want to be more consistent with the length, and as far are wickets are concerned somedays you will get the wicket, while on other’s you won’t.

“Situation is also very important, I try my variations only when the oppositions have lost four or five wickets quickly.”

Kuldeep said that the competition among spinners in the Indian team will always be high and it motivates him to do well.

“Competition will always be there in the Indian cricket team, but it motivates you as well to do well as you can’t take anything lightly. For me process is more important than performance. I have been working at the NCA on by bowling, on my length. When you get the opportunity, you try to make it count,” he said.

Kuldeep, along with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, changed the dynamic of white-ball cricket a few years ago, even in conditions which hardly had anything for tweakers, before going off the boil. However, Kuldeep says despite not playing together “the Kulcha” always tries to help each other.

“We are pretty relaxed. We know that combination matters a lot. We have a good understanding. He helps me a lot, when I am playing. He always wants me to do give mey best. At the same time I also share my opinions, when he gets the chance to play. The “Kulcha” has been done well over the years because we support each other,” he said.

Kuldeep also credited his recent success to the seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He said: “Seniors plays a big role. When I brought the changes in my game, Virat bhai and Rohit bhai supported me a lot. They have shown confidence in me. They are backing me.”

On the pitch, Kuldeep said it was a tricky as initially it looked like a good surface for the seamers. The home side was 88 for three but quickly collapsed when Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja started their spells

“To be very honest initially it looked like a good wicket for the seamers. Our fast bowlers, they bowled really well. When Ravindra Jadeja was bowling, it was gripping and turning at the same time. When I started from the other end, I got the drift as well as the turn. In the second innings, their left-arm spinner (Gudakesh Motie) and leg-spinner (Yannic Cariah), they bowled well as well and were getting bounce and turn. I think it was a good wicket for spinners as well,” he said.

“It would have been great if we have won the game by eight or nine wickets but they bowled really well. Probably in the next game, you will see a different approach,” he added.

The teams will play the second ODI on Saturday, also in Bridgetown, followed by the third and final ODI next Tuesday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad. The teams are also scheduled to play five T20 matches.