Kuldeep credit straighter run-up, elevated tempo for ODI success
Kuldeep began in wonderful style with the ball. He noticed Rohit Sharma drop Fakhar Zaman at slip earlier than deceiving him in flight to bowl him. After trapping Agha Salman lbw, he dismissed Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed – taking a wonderful diving catch off his bowling – and Faheem Ashraf in successive overs to finish Pakistan’s innings prematurely with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf
“When I was new, I thought of only bowling naturally,” he stated. “But as I have played along, I have the experience of knowing which batsman plays what shot, and how he picks the ball. So, I bowl accordingly. When the target is big, you know the batsman is going for his shots, but you are also ready for it. That helps in planning your bowling.”
Kuldeep, who was “very happy” with how his previous one and a half years have gone, stated his maiden ODI five-for towards Pakistan was a “big deal.”
“When I retire, I will always remember that I picked up five wickets against Pakistan. It is a big deal because they are a team that plays spin well. If you do well against a side that plays spin well in the subcontinent, it motivates you.”