Sunshine at Eden Pressure’s all on Warner when he faces me: Yadav
Rain threat in Kolkata could mar Smith’s 100th ODI as India lead fivematch series 10
I bowl at him thinking I can get him out. I know the pressure’s all on him. And I think he feels the pressure as well when I come on
KULDEEP YADAV, On David Warner
tional career. That match in 2003 went Australia’s way as did the only other one-dayer they have played at one of cricket’s most famous cathedral --- the final of the 1987 World Cup.
But it doesn’t really matter because the Indian Premier League (IPL) has given international players familiarity with Indian grounds and conditions.
That’s may be why Smith said being unable to train outdoors wouldn’t really impact their chances of squaring the series. “The guys have worked hard since we have been in India and we had a game not that long ago so... It’s been about topping up as much as we can indoors and get- ting a few things right there. No excuses from us. We are ready to go tomorrow,” he said.
Given that the match comes in the middle of Kolkata’s preparations for the annual carnival that the Durga Puja is, it will have to be seen how many turn up even if the rain relents. Scalpers outside the Eden were offering tickets on its marked price on Wednesday morning and queues outside the box office small. But given how much an association earns for hosting an international and that with improved drainage facilities a truncated match can be held even if it rains on Thursday afternoon, the show certainly will go on. KOLKATA: Kuldeep Yadav didn’t say he has got David Warner’s number but came really close. You would, wouldn’t you if as a 22-year-old you have managed to dismiss one of cricket’s most flamboyant batsmen five times?
“If you go through a phase when you are dominating a batsman, you will fancy your chances against him. It is the same with me when Warner’s at the crease. I bowl at him thinking I can get him out. I know the pressure’s all on him. And I think he feels the pressure as well when I come on. There are four more games to go so let’s see… We need to get Warner out as fast as possible as he can change the game quickly,” said Yadav, one day before the second one-dayer against Australia here.
Wonder what the batsman to whom Ian Chappell thinks there is a lot more than going slambang feel about this assessment.
The other batsman Yadav singled out was Steve Smith. “I have found him to be the toughest to bowl to in this Australia line-up. He reads deliveries well and knows how to work the singles. And he can also play shots. If either of them bat 30-40 overs, the pressure will be on us.”
Being in the limelight in a fledgling international career isn’t new to Yadav but he is aware of the responsibility on him and Yuzvendra Chahal in the absence of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. “This partnership will certainly help us and hopefully, Indian cricket. We will mature series by series, hopefully,” he said.
The other novelty for Yadav has been playing with another wrist spinner. It hadn’t happened before Chennai, he said.
“Not even in junior cricket. Yes, I did play with some left-arm spinners and then with Piyush Chawla in the Ranji Trophy but that too wasn’t for long. It is a nice experience because two wrist spinners mean more chances of getting a wicket.”
His craft gives a captain attacking options but Yadav said he is working on honing defensive abilities too. “Sometimes I feel you need to give one batsman a single and attack the other one. I am working on it,” he said.
‘LEARNT A LOT FROM PC’
Signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014, Yadav said it was important for him to have someone he could talk to, on the field and beyond the boundary.
“When I came to KKR, it had quality spinners in Sunil Narine, Shakib (Al Hasan) and then Brad Hogg joined. It was a great experience. To have someone like ‘PC bhai’ (Chawla) was a big help because you needed someone to talk to, someone to tell you what to do. I have learnt a lot,” he said.