Asia Cup: India spinner Kuldeep Yadav explains WHAT helped him dominate Pakistan in Super Four clash

India scripted their biggest win against Pakistan in ODIs after beating their arch-rivals by 228 runs in the rain-affected Super Four clash in the Asia Cup 2023 on September 11. The game, which went on for two days, saw Indians dominate with both bat and ball, especially spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the spin department.

The Pakistan team batted till just eight wickets as fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf didn't bat after picking up injuries and the Indianstook full advantage of the situation. It was Kuldeep who made sure that the huge chase of 357 runs didn't get going for Pakistan at any point in the match as he finished with a five-for. The spinner, who is now India's leading wicket-taker in the ODIs in 2023 with 27 scalps, credited his run-up and 'aggressive approach' for the success.

"It's been over one and a half years since I had surgery," Kuldeep said after the win. "The run-up has become straighter. The rhythm has become aggressive. The approach is nice. Maybe my hand used to fall over but that is well in control and faces the batter more.

"At the same time, I did not lose my spin and drift, and my pace increased - all of which helped me. If a leg-spinner lands the ball on a good length, there are more chances of [him] picking up a wicket. If you are a leg-spinner, you tend to bowl a lot of loose balls but if you become consistent, you can succeed."

It was a complete game from the Indians' point of view ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup. They ticked all the boxes with the bat as the top four scored a fifty+ score against a lethal Pakistan attack. Virat Kohli also showed why he's considered the greatest of all time after he hit his fourth consecutive century in Colombo and 47th overall in ODIs.

In the bowling department too, Jasprit Bumrah made the ball talk in the initial overs, while Mohammad Siraj, Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur all played their role to perfection.

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