"That kind of consistency is a massive quality to have" - When Gautam Gambhir hailed an Indian wrist spinner
Former India batter and current head coach Gautam Gambhir is known for being very vocal about his views on the game. Be it praise or criticism, the 43-year-old doesn't believe in holding back. He has been the subject of trolling over some of his views, which, at times, have been bizarre. To his credit, nothing has stopped the two-time World Cup winner from expressing his frank views.
In 2017, Gambhir heaped praise on left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, following his impressive Test debut against Australia in Dharamsala in March 2017. Kuldeep shone with figures of 4-68 in the first innings as India hammered the Aussies by eight wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy match. Kuldeep had played under Gambhir for KKR in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Praising the Uttar Pradesh spinner, Gambhir expressed hope that he could play for the country for a long time. The former India batter told ESPNcricinfo:
"From a skills point of view, he is pretty consistent. If he bowls a bad ball, it is usually a fuller ball. He hardly bowls a short delivery. That kind of consistency for a wrist spinner is a massive quality to have. If you have to mistake you'd much rather make it fuller than shorter. He hardly bowls long-hops which is a big quality to have."
Reflecting on the impressive start Kuldeep had made to his Test career, the former KKR captain asserted that he was not surprised and termed the wrist spinner as a cricketer with a big heart.
"He started his Test career on a very good note and hopefully he can continue to the same way because people can talk too much about him. At times if you start talking too much about a young boy, you can stop enjoying the game. I am not surprised with what he did in the first innings at Dharamsala because he's got a great temperament," Gambhir had said.
"I realized whenever he played for us that he's someone who is not scared of getting hit. Kuldeep has a big heart, that is what you look for in any spinner who wants to go on and play for India. Hopefully he can play for a very long time, just let him enjoy his game and express himself," the 43-year-old had added.
Kuldeep played 50 matches for KKR from 2014 to 2020, claiming 46 wickets at an average of 30.13 and an economy rate of 8.18, with a best of 4-20.
Kuldeep Yadav's stats in international cricket
Kuldeep (30) has featured in 13 Tests so far and has claimed 56 wickets at an average of 22.16, with four five-fers and a best of 5-40. He has the experience of 106 ODIs, picking up 172 scalps, averaging 26 at an economy rate of 4.99. In T20Is, Kuldeep has 69 wickets in 40 matches at an average of 14.07 and an economy rate of 6.77.