India’s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule has backed Kuldeep Yadav to bounce back from a modest outing in the first Test against Sri Lanka, insisting the left-arm wrist spinner remains firmly in the team’s plans ahead of the second Test.
Kuldeep managed just one wicket across 25 overs in the two innings at Galle, while fellow left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja shared 14 wickets between them.
“He’s been bowling extremely well. It’s just the situation which arose in Galle, he had to play a different role. For me, he has always been a match-winner and he definitely is in the scheme of things,” Bahutule told reporters at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Soft Ball Made Life Difficult
Bahutule explained that the conditions at Galle and the Kookaburra ball, which becomes softer after losing its initial lacquer, made life particularly difficult for wrist spinners.
“All the spinners are struggling with the soft ball. But for finger spinners, it becomes easier. For a leg-spinner, it is that much harder because of the softness of the ball, the seam just goes down,” he said.
Finger spinners can manipulate the ball with their fingers and adjust their pace more easily, whereas wrist spinners face greater difficulty generating the same response from a soft ball.
“We had to see how the trajectory or the speeds work in every session. As the days went by and as there was a demand for different types of speeds and different types of trajectories, he definitely was making an effort to bowl that,” Bahutule said.
He also stressed that one match should not determine Kuldeep’s standing within the team.
“So, I don’t think one game decides on the way he is performing and the way he is approaching. So, that’s all he had to adapt to and he tried his best to adapt to that role,” he added.
Suthar Emerges As Reliable Option
While Kuldeep struggled, Manav Suthar strengthened his case with a 10-wicket match haul in the Galle Test.
Bahutule was particularly impressed by the young left-arm spinner’s control and growing understanding of different conditions.
“Since he has bowled a lot in domestic cricket, he understands his bowling well,” Bahutule said.
The coaching staff are working with Suthar on adapting his bowling to different pitches and opponents while improving his understanding of field placements and trajectories.
“He is very accurate, and so, his trajectories are just getting better. The revs are good and he is somebody who is like a banker for us,” Bahutule said.
Suthar’s consistency has made him an increasingly dependable option for India, while Kuldeep remains an important part of the team’s spin-bowling plans heading into the second Test.
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