India’s Kuldeep Yadav who snapped up 5 wickets against West Indies in the visitors’ first innings of the second Test said on Sunday that the feat was pretty special to him, adding that he always thinks of creating magic in the field. The player, who is playing his 15th Test, also added that it doesn’t matter if he plays regularly or not but when he does play, he wants to do something special on the field.
“Taking a five-wicket haul after quite a long was special. You have to create magic on the field. That’s what I always think about. And it doesn’t matter if I play in 18 months or one month. So, that was very clear for me,” Kuldeep said after the end of the 3rd day’s play in New Delhi.
However, the spinner is currently wicketless in West Indies’ second innings after India enforced the follow-on, leaking 53 runs in his 11 overs, being hit for five fours and two sixes.
“The wicket is good to bat on and there wasn’t any pace on the wicket, so we just tried to hit it the right length. Hitting the stumps was my plan. The first innings was brilliant. Second innings, they batted really well, Hope and Campbell started hitting very well. And they are batting really well at the moment,” he said.
Talking about the wicket, he added, “It looks pretty well to bat. The wicket is obviously slower. And there isn’t any the pace on the wicket, so you have to create and generate the energy. And for wrist-spinners, it is difficult sometimes. Hitting the right length and trying to beat the batsmen in the air, that was my plan. I was just trying to speed my arm speed. I thought yesterday I bowled well. There wasn’t any pace from the wicket. So, I had to create something. The rhythm was good. I was just focusing on the arm speed. Whatever ball I get, I just have to bowl. And whatever format I play, just give my best.”
John Campbell and Shai Hope scored unbeaten half centuries as West Indies ended day three of the second Test at 173 for 2 against India.
