NEW DELHI: England Test captain Joe Root may have decoded how to tackle chinaman Kuldeep Yadav but Sachin Tendulkar feels that the young wrist spinner could still prove to be a handful if the home team prepares dry surfaces for the upcoming five Test series against India, starting August 1.
“Whatever I saw on television, Root picked Kuldeep from his hand and did that really well. Now Kuldeep’s wrist action is a complex one and once he lands the ball, I don’t think too many batsmen in world cricket have got the ability to tackle him off the pitch.
Root could afford to play Kuldeep late because he was picking his wrist position early,” Tendulkar told PTI during an exclusive interview on Saturday.
When asked if these are ominous signs for the Indian team, Tendulkar however begged to differ. “I don’t think all the other England batsmen have played Kuldeep well.
The kind of weather that has been in England with the sun baking the pitches, Kuldeep will be very much in action and so will be the other Indian spinners. “If the pitches remain flat and dry like the ones during the limited overs leg, India are in with a very good chance. But if it’s a green top, obviously, the England seamers will come into the play,” the legend opined.
He did agree that missing Bhuvneshwar Kumar during the first three Tests along with Jasprit Bumrah for the opening game in Birmingham, “will be a setback” for India.
“Bhuvi’s injury (stiff back) is a real setback for India. I for one was expecting a lot from him. He has over the years performed at a level that you expect a certain kind of performance from him. With his ability to swing the ball, he was going to be very critical to India’s scheme of things during the Test series. ”
Tendulkar said. Skipper Virat Kohli’s treacherous form in 2014 has been talked about a lot but Tendulkar feels that it will have no bearing on Indian captain’s performance in the upcoming series. (PTI)
