UP cricketing names laud Kuldeep Yadav hat-trick
What's the story?
Congratulatory messages poured in from all corners of the world as Kuldeep Yadav picked up his first ODI hat-trick against Australia, but none seemed happier than those of Kapil Pandey, Kuldeep's coach who said he was not surprised with the feat.
Kapil opined "I am hardly surprised by Kuldeep Yadav's feat. I have always believed in his ability to be successful at the international level in any format. He had already proved his worth in Test matches and T20s. Now, he has shown his worth in ODIs too. I hope he is able to cement his place in Team India."
Kapil credited Kuldeep's success to his bag of tricks, saying "He has a lot of variety and can bowl a fantastic wrongun too. Therefore, he is a key bowler for India on a slow surface. I am sure his stature will grow as he makes the most of his opportunities" and also added that his patience and continuous hard work aided Kuldeep's path to glory.
Gopal Sharma, ex-selector and former off-spin bowler quipped "It's a matter of great pride for us. I believe Kuldeep has done justice to his selection. I always knew he is a rare talent — I have not seen a left-arm wrist spinner of his ability" and went on to praise the youngster's consistency and accuracy.
In case you didn't know...
Kuldeep has risen to public regard following the second ODI between India and Australia after he picked up a hat-trick that saw Australia crumble during their 253-run chase and in the process created history as the first Indian spinner to pick a hat-trick in ODI cricket.
Heart of the Matter
The stage was set for the final flourish and with Australia needing 105 runs from 18 overs with five wickets in the hand, the job seemed relatively easy when Kohli tossed the ball to Kuldeep Yadav, who was having a mediocre match up to then.
In the second ball of the over, Wade misjudged the ball to chop it onto his stumps and the next ball, Ashton Agar missed a straight low full toss and was rapped on the boots for the umpire to slowly raise his finger.
Coulter-Nile walked in and the pressure was clearly on him with almost six fielders surrounding him. Kuldeep took a deep breath and delivered the perfect ball that spun away from him and took the edge of the bat, settling into Dhoni's gloves to trigger wild celebrations in the stadium as Kuldeep, with his arms stretched, went on a celebratory run and soaked in the moment.
What's next?
The Indian team has put in complete performances in both the ODIs and Kohli will look to his men to seal the deal with another victory in the third ODI to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. Australia, on the other hand, will look to formulate a winning strategy and keep the series alive.
Author's take
Kuldeep Yadav has been waiting in the wings for a long time and his hat-trick could well signal his stunning arrival in international cricket. The Chinaman might have cemented his place in the line-up for a long time to come and with the batsmen failing to pick his variations, this could indicate good times ahead for India.