India's ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav played a pivotal role in orchestrating a dramatic collapse of the Pakistani batting lineup during the high-voltage ODI World Cup match in Ahmedabad on October 14, Saturday. Alongside fellow bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep delivered tight and strategic spells that ultimately bowled Pakistan out for a mere 191 runs in 42.5 overs.
Speaking to broadcasters after the match, Kuldeep revealed how he engineered Pakistan's batting fiasco. Kuldeep highlighted the team's strategy, which centered on adjusting pace and employing variations due to the sluggish pitch and Pakistan's cautious approach to batting.
Kuldeep said, "The wicket was a bit slow. We were focusing on the length. They were not attacking too much, so I was just focusing on my pace and my variations."
This match marked Pakistan's second-lowest score in an ODI World Cup match against India, with their previous low being 180 runs in their 1999 meeting. Kuldeep's caused the dismissals of Saud Shakeel (6 runs) and Iftikhr Ahmed (4 runs), to return with a bowling figure of 2/35, hastened Pakistan's descent.
Despite initial questions surrounding Indian captain Rohit Sharma's decision to bowl first, the strategy proved effective as India successfully maintained control over the game. The breakthrough moment came when India managed to dismantle Pakistan's defense, particularly a robust 72-run partnership between Babar Azam (50 off 58 balls) and Mohammed Rizwan (49 off 69 balls). The crucial wicket of Azam, taken by Siraj (2/50), shifted the momentum in India's favor.
A well-executed slow off-cutter by Bumrah (2/19 in 7 overs) sneaked through Rizwan's bat and pad, marking the conclusion of Pakistan's resistance. This moment was met with jubilation from the nearly 100,000 spectators at Motera.
Kuldeep expressed his satisfaction with his bowling performance in the high-pressure match against Pakistan and emphasised his focus on varying pace and delivering precise variations. His successful dismissals of Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed ensure India restrict arch-rivals to lowly total.
"I was bowling very well. Not too much width because of the field restrictions. They weren't trying too much. Rizwan didn't sweep me a lot, so I wanted to make him play the bad shot. I've been watching Saud Shakeel in the last couple of games, and he'd been trying to sweep a lot. He thought that ball was slow but it skidded on. It's unbelievable to play in front of this crowd. This atmosphere is crazy, playing against Pakistan and seeing close to 90,000 people here," Kuldeep concluded.
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