Spinner Kuldeep Yadav has hailed fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for India’s perfect start in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. India have kicked off the Cricket World Cup in their home country with remarkable success, securing four convincing wins to stand among the only two teams that remain undefeated.
While the likes of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have dazzled with substantial scores in their pursuit of the four targets set, the bowling unit has played an equally pivotal role in each triumph.
India’s bowlers have been exceptional, amassing 36 wickets across their four matches. They managed to dismiss both Australia and Pakistan for fewer than 200 runs and took eight wickets each against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, contributing significantly to India’s unblemished record in the tournament.
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“It’s very important to start off very well with the first Powerplay. Jasprit and Siraj have done really well,” India spinner Kuldeep Yadav told the ICC. “Not just giving us wickets, but probably just containing the runs as well (for) when me and Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) come to bowl. We’ve always got one or two wickets, only today (against Bangladesh) we felt that they got a very good start.”
Bumrah stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 10 wickets, while Siraj and the versatile all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, have both secured five wickets each.
The pace trio, comprising Bumrah, Siraj, and Pandya, has consistently made a significant impact in most matches. However, the importance of Bumrah and Siraj has heightened, especially after Pandya suffered an ankle injury against Bangladesh and required assistance to leave the field.
In addition to the pace attack, the spin duo of Kuldeep and Jadeja will play a pivotal role in India’s upcoming matches, including clashes with strong opponents like New Zealand and the defending champions, England. They will be instrumental not only in taking wickets but also in maintaining a tight control over the flow of runs. Jadeja, demonstrating his versatility, has excelled in both roles, claiming seven wickets and maintaining the fourth-best economy rate in the tournament at 3.75 runs per over.
Kuldeep Yadav has also been impressive, securing six wickets while maintaining the seventh-best economy rate, allowing only 4.1 runs an over.
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“We’re just working on length and we’re keeping it very simple, me and Jaddu bhai,” Kuldeep Yadav said. “We’re getting the good wickets as well, but it’s very important to keep it very simple and just maintain that in every game, that’s very important. If you pick an early wicket in the middle overs, definitely it gives you confidence and it just controls the run rate as well.”
With the pace attack led by Bumrah and Siraj in top form, and the spin duo of Kuldeep and Jadeja providing excellent support, India’s bowling unit looks well-equipped to handle the challenges posed by the other top teams in the tournament. If the bowlers can continue to perform consistently, India will be one of the favorites to lift the World Cup trophy.
