Happy to get wickets and impress ‘Mahi praji’: Yadav
He is a great mind reader and his imagination for field placing was amazing.
His heart was beating like anything ever since he got selected in India A team to play alongside Mahendra Singh Dhoni against England in the practice game on Tuesday.
But, all his inhibitions turned into joy when he found his dream man (Dhoni) as cool as he is known for. In fact, China man bowler Kuldeep Yadav was dreaming for this day as he grew up playing cricket while watching MS Dhoni doing wonders for Team India.
“I wanted to impress ‘Mahi Praji’ as well as everyone else in the game by taking wickets, and I am happy that I could do both,” Kuldeep, who claimed five wickets against England at the Brabourne Stadium, said.
“I knew this was the best chance so far to prove my worth so I did exactly what I had planned. I bowled on a tight line and kept tossing the ball up for the rival batsmen,” he said.
“All the three days that I spent with MSD as well as other cricketers like Yuvraj Singh for the match, are like a dream to me. I m not going to forget these days ever in my life,” said Yadav, who celebrated his 22nd birthday only last month.
He said he enjoyed good support from Dhoni from behind the wickets. “He (MSD) is a great mind reader and his imagination for field placing was amazing. Even before a single delivery I didn’t ask for a change in field set up as I always found the set up right,” said Yadav.
“Even a day before the match, he told me what to do the next morning, where to bowl and what to bowl. This continued even when I was bowling in the match. He did not lose patience even when the England batsmen hammered Indian bowlers. He was calm and composed and advised me to bowl slower ones even when the English batsmen playing sweep shots,” he said.