Opinion: Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav are demolition men of Indian cricket

How would you rate the performance of a team who has defeated the number two ODI team in ICC ranking, in back to back matches by the massive margins of 9 wickets and 124 runs?

I can only describe it as insane.

But this is what men in blue have just done during the 2ndand 3rdODIs of the current ODI series.

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Once Pakistan’s Cricket legend Imran Khan said that captain should rely on strong points of his side with conviction and should go for full throttle attack.

So when Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were running through the South African batting line-up during the second and third ODIs against South Africa, what Imran said was simply holding true. Both of these spinners claimed sixteen wickets between them during these two matches and India simply decimated the 2ndranked team South Africa in back to back matches. India’s proven strength in spin bowling played its part to perfection yet again and Kohli simple unleashed them to hunt South Africans.

After the 2ndODI, Indian Captain Virat Kohli himself came up with the rave compliment for the performance of the Indian spinners. According to Kohli, Chahal and Kuldeep can generate a turn on any surface. If Kohli thinks so, then the moot question here is why spinners were not in much of action during the Test series, notwithstanding that series was played on pacer-friendly tracks.

There is a specific case here for Kuldeep Yadav. People was bit surprised when Kuldeep was not selected for the Test series against South Africa. So, Kohli’s statement endorses the fact that Kuldeep deserved a place in Test playing eleven. Being a left-arm chinaman bowler, Kuldeep brings a certain x-factor and surprise element on the table. He had a wonderful Test debut last year. Before the Test squad for the series against South Africa was selected, Rahul Dravid opined that India should use unorthodox style embedded in Kuldeep'sbowling to its advantage.

But let’s park Kuldeep's exclusion from the Test squad for the time being; the performance of Chahal and Kuldeep suggests that perhaps Kohli missed the trick in utilising available spinners during the last two Test matches. Particularly, Kohli erred in leaving Jadeja out from playing eleven during the second Test. Kohli even overlooked the fact that during the last tour in 2014, Jadeja had a six wickets haul in a Test in South Africa.In the last Test match as well, Kohli went for five fast bowlers and one of them (Hardik) hardly bowled.

Chahal has been consistentlyperformingwell in the ODIs. He struck to fame with hisvery successful stint with the RCB in the IPL.Chahal has been proving his credentials in the ODI and the T-20 time and again. Last year in a T-20 match, Chahal claimed an amazing six wickets haul. His 38 wickets in 20 ODIs with an economy rate of 4.58 speaks about Chahal’s ability to claim wickets and at the same time keeping the run-scoring in control. He doesn’t give much air and bowls rather flat but he is spot on with his length and line and generate good turn.

Kuldeep Yadav has earned his place in the national side with his hard work. So far in ODI series, he has bowled beautifully, gave nice flight to balls, pitched them right and moreover disguised his wrong ones (googlies) quite impeccably.

With such form of the Indian team, Kuldeep and Chahal in particular, and with a depleted South African side (ABD, du Plessis and de Kock are out due to injuries), India stands a clear chance of sweeping the ODI series with a huge margin. Not be surprised if the ODI series ends up with a scoreline of 6-0.

The narrative which India has reversed after losing first two Tests reached its zenith by this 3rdODI and Chahal and Kuldeep are the men of the moment.

In all probability, Chahal and Kuldeep are set to play a big role for their side in the World Cup next year. Being wrist spinners, both of them have displayed an uncanny ability to bowl effectively on tracks, which are not necessarily spinner’s friendly. Both of them would be players to watch in England during ICC World Cup 2019.

And yes, how interesting it is, India has two world-class finger spinners in form of Ashwin and Jadeja for the Test matches and two demolition men, two wrist spinners Chahal and Kuldeep to unleash havoc in ODIs.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)