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Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav recently opened up about his emotional journey following India's loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup final, admitting that it took him a considerable ten days to come to terms with the defeat. The experience was a reflective period for Kuldeep, as he pondered over what might have been done differently on that crucial evening.
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"Starting was really difficult. The first 7 to 10 days were really tough. Whenever I was waking up, the thought of losing the World Cup final was haunting me. But life changes and moves on. I got an opportunity to play in South Africa, I last played here in 2018 so I knew the conditions well," Kuldeep said.
"In cricket what you want never happens and you have to learn from them and implement those in future matches," he added.
During the recent third T20I against South Africa at The Wanderers, Kuldeep experienced a unique challenge. Contrary to the usual pace and bounce associated with South African pitches, the spinner found the conditions unexpectedly spin-friendly. On his 29th birthday, Kuldeep not only celebrated his personal milestone but also achieved a significant professional one, becoming the second Indian bowler, and the first Indian spinner, to record multiple five-wicket hauls in T20Is, joining the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
"It turned out to be a special day. I have never thought about taking five wickets. I just wanted the team to win which is more important. I was concerned about my bowling because I was playing after sometime, so wanted to get my rhythm. It was perfect today. The ball was coming out well from the hand and the conditions too suited the spinners a bit," Kuldeep added.
Kuldeep's return to South Africa brought back memories of his last tour in 2018. However, his career trajectory took a turn when he suffered a knee injury in 2021, leading to surgery and a subsequent hiatus from cricket for about half a year. His comeback was marked by a modified bowling technique, showcasing his resilience and adaptability.
"In 2018, I was very new and after that, a couple of years I struggled with my injury, and post-surgery I came back and made a few changes in my bowling, especially in my run-up. Trying to be more aggressive and just trying to bowl much straighter and focussing on length," Kuldeep said.
In the third T20I, Indian batting dynamo Suryakumar Yadav played a pivotal role, smashing a stunning century in just 56 balls. This impressive innings helped India set a formidable target of 201 runs. However, the South African team fell short in their chase, getting bowled out for just 95 runs in 13.5 overs.
Following the T20I series, the focus now shifts to the upcoming three-match ODI series, which is set to commence on Sunday in Johannesburg, promising another exciting cricketing chapter in the India-South Africa rivalry.
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