Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 (IANS): Former India fast bowler Varun Aaron has hailed Kuldeep Yadav as a high-calibre ‘gun bowler,’ asserting that the left-arm wrist-spinner’s ability to dry up the runs right from the start broke the back of the West Indies innings in the first ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium.
Kuldeep’s match-winning spell of 4-40 in his allotted ten overs was a masterclass in varying his pace and variations on a batting-friendly black soil pitch and took home the Player of the Match award in India’s comfortable eight-wicket victory and take a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.
“That should have never been the case, Kuldeep getting dropped and not getting opportunities. He is a gun bowler. He’s a wicket-taker, and he’s a match-winner. On that wicket, to get that kind of turn and bounce is not easy at all. We heard Shai Hope saying that they were at least 60 or 70 runs short.
“So, on a wicket that flat, Kuldeep Yadav has delivered the goods, not just with his wickets, but also with his economy. He stemmed the flow of runs right from the outset. And after that, the moment he got those two or three wickets, I think West Indies were on the back foot,” said Aaron on JioHotstar.
Shifting his focus to veteran opener Rohit Sharma, who made 32 before being dismissed by Alzarri Joseph, Aaron felt his initial strokeplay was sublime. “He has been in scintillating form. The way he started the innings was absolutely sublime. Shubman Gill got a chance, but Rohit Sharma was chanceless up until that ball.
“He would really be annoyed with himself to get out on this wicket in that fashion, because that wasn’t a very good delivery. It was a half-volley on his legs, he could have done anything with it, but he hit it straight down the square leg’s throat,” he observed.
Aaron added that with both Rohit and Virat Kohli, who hit an unbeaten 139, striking rich form at the top, India’s batting lineup is firmly placed to dominate the rest of the series, with the second game taking place in Guwahati on Wednesday.
“At the end of the day, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are looking in great form. I think we’re in good hands. Our openers are really good, and our number three has obviously shown us in this game what he can do,” he concluded.
