"He is No. 1 where there is no help" - Ajay Jadeja on Kuldeep Yadav's place in India's Test side
Ajay Jadeja feels Kuldeep Yadav is India's best spinner on surfaces that don't afford too much turn.
Kuldeep picked up eight wickets across Bangladesh's two innings in the first Test in Chattogram. He registered figures of 5/40 in the first innings as the Tigers were bowled out for 150 and followed it with a spell of 3/73 in the second essay to help the visitors register a comprehensive 188-run win.
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Jadeja was asked about Kuldeep's place in India's Test side, to which he responded:
"If we see the hierarchy of the top three spinners, Kuldeep Yadav is No. 1 in the skill he has. It is up to you, you are the jeweler, who you want to pick. If you stick with the finger spinners, he will go to the third spot, but he is No. 1 where there is no help, there is no doubt about that."
The former Indian skipper believes the left-arm wrist-spinner can outperform the other Indian spinners on unhelpful tracks, reasoning:
"Yes, where there is help from the pitch, I will also probably use some bowlers ahead of him. But when the time comes, when others don't have anything, there is no turn or bounce, then he will come into play because his art is that he beats you in the air."
Something exciting about seeing a spinner who looks like taking a wicket with every ball he bowls. Kuldeep Yadav is in excellent rhythm
Kuldeep has picked up 34 wickets at an excellent average of 21.55 in the eight Tests he has played. His average in away Tests (19.55) is better than his average in home conditions (23.81).
"You can't see that with him" - Ajay Jadeja on batters failing to pick Kuldeep Yadav
Jadeja added that the batters' failure to read Kuldeep from his hand works to his advantage, observing:
"The conditions don't matter that much when you beat the batters in the air. Secondly, which way the ball will turn, you can still figure out for the other spinners, you can't see that with him."
The cricketer-turned-commentator also lauded the Indian team management for picking the Uttar Pradesh spinner in the playing XI for the first Test, elaborating:
"So Kuldeep Yadav is way ahead in that. But it is for him to perform. Whenever he has done that, he has been called back. I always criticize our selections but this was the first selection we have seen in the last two years, we had only seen rejections till now, and that gave a good result."
1136 runs scored and more could have been in the conditions here at #Chattogram For Kuldeep Yadav to bag 8 wickets in the match is very impressive. #BANvIND. Well bowled @imkuldeep18 https://t.co/twzcOKHDTz
Jadeja highlighted that the Indian think tank didn't need to play Kuldeep as they already had two spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel. He praised their decision and concluded by hoping that they will continue to take such calls.