India spinner Kuldeep Yadav continues to make an impact in English county cricket, and one of his latest deliveries has gone viral after leaving a batter completely stunned.
Playing for Yorkshire, Kuldeep recently produced a sensational 10-wicket haul against Essex in the County Championship Division One. He finished the match with figures of 4/70 in the first innings and 6/50 in the second, returning a match haul of 10/120.
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Kuldeep also contributed with the bat, scoring 36 runs in his only innings as Yorkshire secured a dominant innings and 106-run victory over Essex. The match concluded on September 10.
However, it was one particular delivery from the Indian spinner that caught the attention of cricket fans on social media.
During the match, Kuldeep bowled to Zaman Akhter and delivered the ball well outside the off stump. The batter appeared confident enough to leave it, raising his bat and allowing the delivery to pass.
But the ball had other plans.
After pitching, it turned sharply back towards the batter and crashed into the stumps, leaving Akhter with no chance to react. The dismissal highlighted the sharp turn and variation that Kuldeep was able to extract from the surface.
The delivery quickly went viral on social media, with fans comparing the moment to the magic of legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne.
Kuldeep explained after the match that the conditions allowed him to attack the batter with plenty of revolutions on the ball.
“It was a lovely wicket to bowl on because you don’t have to bowl quick in terms of pace because the wicket already has pace in it,” Kuldeep told Yorkshire Cricket TV after his match-winning performance.
He added that the surface offered considerable assistance after the ball landed, allowing him to focus on generating spin rather than pace.
“After pitching, you can see there is a bit of quickness, and you just have to spin the ball and put a lot of revs on it. Ultimately, that was the key,” he said.
Kuldeep also highlighted the difference between English and Indian conditions, explaining that the pace in the pitch can make it difficult for batters to retreat onto the back foot.
“If you compare it to Indian conditions, it’s totally different,” he said, pointing out that Indian pitches can often be slower and allow batters more time to adjust.
The performance has added another impressive chapter to Kuldeep’s county stint. The spinner has now shown that his variations can be equally effective on English surfaces, particularly when there is pace and bounce available.
Kuldeep has played 19 Tests for India and has taken 80 wickets, including five five-wicket hauls. Despite those numbers, he has recently found it difficult to secure a regular place in India’s playing XI.
His performances for Yorkshire, however, underline his continued ability to trouble batters in different conditions and could strengthen his case for a return to the national setup.
