Spinner Kuldeep Yadav has praised the fast bowling duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for India's outstanding start in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. India has begun their World Cup campaign at home with a flawless record, winning all four matches and joining the exclusive group of undefeated teams.
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While the batting prowess of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has shone brightly in their pursuit of targets, India's bowling unit has been equally crucial to their success.
India's bowlers have been exceptional, taking a total of 36 wickets in their four matches. They dismissed Australia and Pakistan for less than 200 runs each and claimed eight wickets against both Afghanistan and Bangladesh, contributing significantly to India's unblemished record.
"It's very important to start off very well with the first Powerplay. Jasprit and Siraj have done really well," India spinner Kuldeep Yadav told the ICC
"Not just giving us wickets, but probably just containing the runs as well (for) when me and Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) come to bowl.
"We've always got one or two wickets, only today (against Bangladesh) we felt that they got a very good start," he added.
Jasprit Bumrah is the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 10 scalps, while Mohammed Siraj and the versatile all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, have each secured five wickets.
The pace trio, consisting of Bumrah, Siraj, and Pandya, has consistently made a significant impact in most matches. However, the importance of Bumrah and Siraj has grown, particularly after Pandya suffered an ankle injury against Bangladesh.
In addition to the pace attack, the spin duo of Kuldeep and Jadeja will play a crucial role in India's upcoming matches against strong opponents like New Zealand and defending champions England. They will not only be responsible for taking wickets but also for maintaining a tight control over the run rate.
Ravindra Jadeja has excelled in both roles, claiming seven wickets and boasting the fourth-best economy rate in the tournament at 3.75 runs per over.
Kuldeep has also been impressive, securing six wickets and maintaining the seventh-best economy rate, conceding only 4.1 runs an over. India's bowling arsenal is proving to be a formidable force in the ICC World Cup 2023, contributing significantly to their unbeaten run.
"We're just working on length and we're keeping it very simple, me and Jaddu bhai," Kuldeep said.
"We're getting the good wickets as well, but it's very important to keep it very simple and just maintain that in every game, that's very important.
"If you pick an early wicket in the middle overs, definitely it gives you confidence and it just controls the run rate as well," he further added.
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