‘Next 4-5 years are very important for me in Test cricket’: Kuldeep Yadav

The spinner who took 4 wickets in the Kolkata Test against South Africa said he'll focus on maintaining his fitness in order to keep performing.

Kuldeep Yadav bowls at the Eden Gardens during the first India vs South Africa Test. (Express Photo | Partha Paul)

India wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav said an attacking mindset keeps him relevant in the face of competition, adding that playing all the three formats for the national side is a luxury. The spinner who took 4 wickets in the Kolkata Test against South Africa said he’ll focus on maintaining his fitness in order to keep performing.

“Obviously, you want to play in all formats, but if you get a chance to play Test cricket, you enjoy it. Playing in all formats for India is a luxury. Everyone loves Test cricket. It’s a format that everyone enjoys, but it’s also very challenging. The next 4-5 years are very important for me in Test cricket, so I will focus on maintaining my fitness and keep performing like this,” Kuldeep said on JioStar’s ‘Follow The Blues’.

“I am very clear as an attacking bowler, I know my role over the years. The coach and the captain have given me a lot of clarity and support. I always keep an attacking mindset and bowl accordingly. That’s my job; taking wickets. That’s how they (coaches) look at me,” he added.

Kuldeep, who was sent back to India in the middle of the Australia T20I series last month so that he can focus on the South Africa Tests, has 342 wickets across formats for India.

Kuldeep’s next India match will likely be against South Africa in Guwahati from November 22 to November 26 with the hosts looking to level the 2-match Test series at 1-1 after their bruising 30-run loss in Kolkata.

After that the action shits to ODIs with the two teams facing each other in 3 matches. The first ODI will take place in Ranchi on November 30, followed by the second match at Raipur on December 3. The third and final ODI match will take place on December 6 at Visakhapatnam.

The T20I series will begin in Cuttack on December 9, followed by the second match in New Chandigarh on December 11. The third match is scheduled for December 14 at Dharamsala and the 4th one will take place in Lucknow on December 17. The last and final match of the series will take place in Ahmedabad on December 19.

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