Kuldeep Yadav showcased his dominance in the opening one-day international (ODI) match against the West Indies, demolishing their batting line-up with an impressive four-wicket haul. The left-arm wrist spinner proved to be a nightmare for the hosts, as he returned with figures of 4/6 in just three overs. This exceptional performance led to the West Indies being skittled out for a paltry 114 runs. In a stunning collapse, the hosts lost their last seven wickets in a span of only 26 runs. India went on to win the game comfortably by five wickets. Let’s take a closer look at Kuldeep’s brilliance in overseas ODIs.
Right from his first over, Kuldeep made his mark as he trapped Dominic Drakes LBW with a deceptive googly. Continuing his relentless attack, he dismissed Yannic Cariah in his second over, which was a wicket maiden. In his third over, Kuldeep claimed the crucial wicket of West Indies skipper Shai Hope, as he trapped him LBW while attempting an expansive reverse sweep. The wrist spinner’s fourth victim was Jayden Seales, who fell prey to a quicker googly and was caught.
Kuldeep’s exceptional performance in away and neutral games combined reflects his prowess as a spinner. He has scalped an impressive 79 wickets in 46 ODIs at a remarkable economy rate of 4.74. Since his debut in June 2017, only Rashid Khan (104), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (86), and Yuzvendra Chahal (85) have claimed more wickets in this context. Notably, Kuldeep’s average of 24.30 is second only to Rashid among these players.
When it comes to specific locations, Kuldeep has been exceptional in South Africa, where he has taken 17 wickets in just six ODIs. He has also enjoyed success in both West Indies and England, securing 15 wickets on each of these soils. In New Zealand and the UAE, he has played five and six games respectively, claiming 10 wickets in both nations. However, Kuldeep’s performance in Australia (3 wickets), Bangladesh (1), Sri Lanka (5), and Zimbabwe (3) has been relatively subdued.
At home, Kuldeep has featured in 36 ODIs, amassing 59 wickets at an average of 29.98. While he has taken four or more wickets on seven occasions throughout his 82-match ODI career, he has only achieved this feat once on home soil. Interestingly, among all the nations where Kuldeep has played at least four ODIs, his economy rate (5.81) is the highest in India.
The match against the West Indies marked Kuldeep’s first four-wicket haul in ODIs against them. In a total of 17 matches against the hosts, he has now amassed an impressive 30 wickets at an average of 21.83. Furthermore, in the eight ODIs he has played in the West Indies, Kuldeep has claimed 15 wickets at an astonishing average of just 15.06. Overall, he has 138 scalps to his name at an average of 26.73. In 34 away matches (playing in the home country of the opposition), he has taken 64 wickets at an average of 22.15.
Moreover, Kuldeep has secured his sixth four-wicket haul in ODIs in this match. Prior to this, he had grabbed three four-wicket hauls against South Africa and two against New Zealand. In addition, Kuldeep has achieved a five-wicket haul once in ODIs, which came against England where he finished with figures of 6/25.
Kuldeep Yadav’s exceptional performance in the ODI opener against the West Indies highlights his skills as a wrist spinner. His ability to consistently take wickets and create a significant impact for the Indian team, both at home and abroad, is commendable. As the series progresses, fans will be eagerly watching to see if Kuldeep can maintain his brilliance and continue to dominate the West Indies batting line-up.
