Kuldeep Yadav made a memorable comeback into the Indian team after having been overlooked in recent assignments, collecting 3/51 to help the Men in Blue bowl Sri Lanka out for 215 in the second ODI in Kolkata.
The left-arm spinner, who had earlier been benched after dishing out a Player of the Match-winning performance in the Test series against Bangladesh, triggered a Lankan batting collapse by dismissing wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis for 34, breaking the 73-run second-wicket stand in the process.
Kuldeep would then go on to dismiss the in-form Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka and Charith Asalanka in a space of a few deliveries as Sri Lanka crumbled to 126/6 from a strong position of 102/1. With his dismissal of Asalanka, Kuldeep also completed 200 international wickets.
The left-arm spinner, who plays for Delhi Capitals in the IPL, was the only change for the Indians in the second ODI as the hosts drafted him into the XI in place of fellow wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Here’s how Cricket Twitter reacted to Kuldeep’s spell:
Kuldeep Yadav is bowling brilliantly today. I guess that means he’ll be dropped next match.
— Abijit Ganguly (@AbijitG) January 12, 2023
Kuldeep, enough man. Don’t pick so many wickets. With 3 wkts already the odds of u being dropped for the next match are really high #DoddaMathu #CricketTwitter #INDvSL
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) January 12, 2023
Not sure what Kuldeep Yadav is trying to do here.
Taking wickets?!?
Each one pushes him closer to getting dropped for the next match.— Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) January 12, 2023
Remember, Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion is a ‘forced’ change. He wouldn’t have played if Chahal was ‘fit’.
In ODIs and Tests, there are few better spinners in the world, let alone in India, than Kuldeep at the moment. He’s on top of his game.
— Aritra Mukherjee (@aritram029) January 12, 2023
India may drop Kuldeep Yadav once again because he’s taken too many wickets in this match, this injustice has happened to him in the past too. He’s taken the most wickets for India since his ODI debut which makes his case more baffling. #INDvSL
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 12, 2023
That’s why you can’t keep in-form players out of the team, Kuldeep Yadav cleans up India’s achilles heel Dasun Shanaka ????????????@imkuldeep18
— Sushant Mehta (@SushantNMehta) January 12, 2023
The visitors, who currently are trailing the three-match ODI series 1-0 after a 67-run loss in Guwahati, keep playing catch-up after the middle-order collapse.
The likes of Wanindu Hasaranga (21) and Dunith Wellalage (32), however, provided some respite for the Sri Lankans as their valuable contributions helped Sri Lanka cross the 200-mark, giving some cushion for the bowling unit.
The visitors then dismissed both Indian openers as well as Virat Kohli inside the powerplay; while Chamika Karunaratne drew first blood by getting India skipper Rohit Sharma caught behind for 17, Lahiru Kumara accounted for the wickets of Shubman Gill (21) and Virat Kohli (4), the latter falling for a single-digit score after scoring a ton in each of his last two ODI appearance.
India reached 67/3 at the end of the first powerplay, needing another 149 to win with seven wickets in hand with the game finely balanced. Shreyas Iyer was batting on 13 with wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul on 5 for company.
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