India spinner Kuldeep Yadav is enjoying the challenge of ‘Bazball’ and admits England’s attacking approach requires bowlers to change their mindset.
England, under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, play front-foot cricket, looking to score runs quickly and posing questions for the opposition to answer.
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In Yadav’s case that means trying to keep control over England’s run-rate.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s third Test in Rajkot, he said: “Usually in Tests you’re not used to teams attacking you with this kind of approach, but it also involves you a lot more.
“As a spinner it makes you more focused on how you want to bowl and what your approach is.
“Normally when you play Tests, you don’t worry about batters attacking you, you’re only focused on how you want to get them out. But here the approach is different, they’re in attacking mode so you also have to plan how to restrict them.
“When they play shots, you have those many opportunities to take wickets. It’s interesting. The last game was my first [against Bazball], I enjoyed it a lot, it’s good for cricket.”
Kuldeep is set to keep his place in the side in Rajkot, even if fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja is declared fit, and the left-armer is expecting a more batter-friendly wicket to the one used in the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.
“It’ll be a batting wicket,” he said. “It doesn’t mean there’ll be 700-800 runs scored. It’ll be a good wicket. It won’t be a rank turner, it will be a live wicket, good for cricket.”
Kuldeep is enjoying the battle against England’s Bazball 👊https://t.co/JQAV7C2Inv | #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/UiYgEyBtnW
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 13, 2024
The surfaces used so far in the series have been the subject of much debate with home fans wondering why they haven’t been more favourable for their spin attack.
“I haven’t played on rank turners, I don’t know what the approach or thought is, it’s a team management decision,” Kuldeep said.
“Obviously everyone wants to watch good cricket. I don’t know if I’ll get an opportunity or not, but whether it’s flat wicket or rank turner, I enjoy it.
“I think batting is also important, not just spin bowling. Fast bowling comes into the game as well. It’s good for cricket. It’s not like you’ll see rank turners only, but hopefully you’ll see it!”
