Kuldeep Yadav had English batsmen like puppets on a string, says Sunil Gavaskar

07/06/2018

After Kuldeep Yadav's stunning 5/24 performance in the first T20I against England, Sunil Gavaskar has exclaimed that the chinaman bowler had the English batsmen dancing to his tunes. Gavaskar also heaped praise on Kings XI Punjab batsman KL Rahul, who has looked in brilliant touch so far.

India's latest spin sensation Yadav has never run out of form since breaking into the international circuit a year back. Along with his partner-in-crime Yuzvendra Chahal, he has helped India wreck havoc overseas where their real challenge lied. While in South Africa earlier this year, the duo picked up a total of 33 wickets, which ultimately led to India registering their first ever series win in the nation, the manner in which they have started in India have also been very encouraging.

After a decent season with the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Kanpur-born bowler was in stunning form in the initial two-match T20I series against the Ireland cricket team. And he extended his form from the warm-up matches to the first T20I against the Britishers by picking up five wickets. Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar was impressed by it and in his column for TOI, opined that the 23-year old lad had the batsmen dancing to his tunes at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

"The skies were certainly as bright as in an Indian summer, and the Indian players were happy to play unencumbered by sweaters, which is usually the norm in England. Perhaps the England team were surprised by the weather, though they would have anticipated and expected a huge turnout of India supporters.

"What they didn’t anticipate was the magic of Kuldeep Yadav, who quite literally had the English batsmen like puppets on a string," Gavaskar wrote for TOI.

Gavaskar also heaped praise on KXIP’s latest signing KL Rahul, who scored a quickfire ton against the hosts in the very first match he played in.

"What a joy it was to see India’s comprehensive win over England in the first T20 International. It was a classy performance, as one would expect of a well-oiled super car. Even when there were moments of quiet, the engine purred nicely, ready to get into top gear at a moment’s notice. The driver was Virat Kohli, who led the team with such clarity and expertise that it is only fair to expect even better performances from the team as the tour goes on.

"It’s been a performance that has whetted the appetite for more and unless the English team have learnt quickly or the weather changes suddenly, this promises to be an Indian summer to look forward to," Gavaskar added.

Kuldeep Yadav had English batsmen like puppets on a string, says Sunil Gavaskar

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