KulCha: A nostalgic reunion, but let us tone down our expectations

Not too long ago, KulCha was THE thing. They were the phenomenon. The masters of their art. The differentiators on overseas tours. The X-factors. The men who had not only filled in the big shoes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja but had transcended the level of all the other spin attacks in the world. They were the benchmark. They were the wonderboys of Indian cricket. The fitting definition of spin wizards. Making wrist spin great again. 

Let's take a look at the best spin bowlers during that period.

It was the combination of Kuldeep and Chahal that turned India's bowling unit into an extraordinary attack. They combinedly hunted 118 batters in 34 games at 25.6 and struck every 30.2 deliveries, meaning they took four wickets on average in a game when they played together for the Men in Blue. Now let's take a look at how they have done with and without each other in ODIs.

Surprisingly, Chahal's number goes down and that too quite a bit when he plays alongside Kuldeep. However, things turn extreme south for the team when they field Chahal sans Kuldeep in the unit. In 18 games where Kuldeep Yadav hasn't played for India since his debut, Indian spinners have averaged a poor 37.35 with a strike rate of 42.5; Chahal has featured in 17 of these games. So when they play together, it does a world of good for India, no wonder the excitement among people at the very thought of them returning together in the series against Sri Lanka.

And there have been other unavoidable reasons too, which have made it difficult for them to play together. Hardik Pandya, ever since his surgery, hasn't been able to bowl as much, and that has made it extremely difficult for India to play KulCha together. Additionally, the 2019 World Cup turned Ravindra Jadeja into a crucial member of the ODI XI. And Virat Kohli cannot field three spinners at once, given, it will upset the team's combination. So, KulCha's poor run has combined with the other factors for their continued exclusion.

And this has completely shattered India's spin displays post the World Cup. Indian spinners have taken 33 wickets in 18 games at a horrible average of 58.63 with an ER of 6.10, and they have struck once every 57.6 balls. Notably, no team has averaged as poorly as India among the top eight nations. In fact, in the period, India have the 19th worst average among all the nations that have played ODIs. Take a look at how the Indian spinners have done in the period.

India's spin bowling has been inexplicably bad. So, things aren't going to turn magically good just because Chahal and Kuldeep play together. They are going through a dry spell individually. Chahal took four wickets in seven games in this year's IPL at 47.50, even when he played three games on the spin-friendly Chepauk. On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav wasn't even considered good enough by his franchise to merit a place in the XI for one game. There is nothing substantial to suggest the coming together of the duo will turn around their fortunes or India's going into the World Cup. 

And even if they do well against Sri Lanka, that will need to be taken with a pinch of salt. After all, Sri Lanka's batting is a big mess. Their country is going through the worst possible phase, and it has impacted the team's displays. Not that they were doing any good earlier. The way they turned up against England on some of the flattest wickets in the world was hideous. Sri Lankan batters have a knack for gifting their wickets and can make even average bowlers look extremely good.