Faster action behind Kuldeep's resurrection

Have you ever wondered how difficult it is for a spinner to increase arm speed? It seems fairly elementary: run in faster, rotate your arms quicker and voila. Only, it turns out, it isn’t. 

Faster rotation alters the shape of the body at the point of release, changes the landing angle and upsets the length, among other things. Essentially, you will have to remodel your entire action to make that one seemingly small adjustment.

Kuldeep Yadav took on this arduous task after his knee surgery a couple of years ago, and it took him over seven months to get it right. When he did find that rhythm, he went from being ignored by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League to India’s frontline option going into the World Cup. 

While picking up 27 wickets from 14 matches earns you the privilege, the five-wicket haul against Pakistan on Monday night cements your role.

“Post-surgery was very frustrating for me. I was out for five months,” Kuldeep recalled after the match. “It has not happened overnight. It took me some time to get it right. Many people have suggested this also and in the meantime, I also never wanted to lose my zip, nip and drift. After the surgery when I completed my rehab for three months, I realised that I must work on it.”

“My physio at the NCA - Ashish Kaushik - told me whatever you are planning don’t put more load on your knee,” he added.

There began the left-arm leg-spinner’s tryst with a faster action. When you run through your action, as a spinner at least, the contact time for the landing foot on the ground is reduced drastically. In essence, it’s more sliding through than landing on.

“To keep that (Ashish’s advice) in mind I tried to bowl faster and I started doing it in the practice matches in Kanpur. The batsmen were finding it difficult to pick. When I was picked for the India team, I started replicating it in international matches. Initially, it was very difficult for me, my rhythm was breaking and I was also struggling in the IPL. But eventually, I did find my rhythm and I am loving it now,” he said.

Why wouldn’t he when the ball is coming out his hand with an accuracy rarely attributed to wrist spinners, least of all the left-arm kind?! It’s the little stuff, Kuldeep admits, that has kept him from stagnating and being hard on himself.

“My run-up has gone a bit straight, there is more aggression in the rhythm and my approach is good. Maybe earlier my bowling hand used to fall a lot, but now it’s under control and it is now facing more towards the batsman,” Kuldeep explained.

“At the same time, I have not lost my spin and drift, it is still there and my pace has also gone up that’s why it is helping me. For some time now I only think about hitting those good lengths consistently, it gives you more chances of taking wickets.”

Every single one of these components he explains with gusto was on show during Monday night’s game. Over and above that, it all came together against Pakistan. “I will always remember that I picked up five wickets against Pakistan when I retire. It is a big thing for me because Pakistan players can play spin well,” he said.

Kuldeep’s journey, it seems like, has come a full circle, but it’s impossible to shake off the feeling that the fastest Indian spinner to 100 ODI wickets is only getting started.