Kolkata, Nov 1 4 (IANS) Kuldeep Yadav said that sticking to his stump-hitting method and drawing from recent preparation against South Africa were central to his success on a slow and demanding Eden Gardens pitch, as India bowled out the visitors for 159 on the opening day of the first Test on Friday.

While Jasprit Bumrah stole the headlines with a five-wicket haul, Kuldeep’s disciplined spell (2 for 36) and clever planning played an equally important role in India’s decisive grip on the contest.

Speaking on JioStar’s post-match show Cricket Live, Kuldeep described the step-up in intensity when playing Test cricket and how his India A outing against South Africa earlier this month gave him useful insight.

“When you play a Test match, your intensity always goes up, and obviously, you need a lot of energy. When we played as India A, it was a good practice match against South Africa, and I bowled to Temba Bavuma there. I knew what sort of shots he plays, so I was prepared to bowl accordingly.”

Kuldeep said the sluggish pitch made his job as a wrist-spinner more demanding, as he had to generate his own pace to trouble the batters. “Today, the wicket was very slow. As a wrist-spinner, it’s tough to bowl on this type of wicket because there is hardly any pace. You have to generate that pace yourself.”

Despite the conditions, he stuck to his approach of attacking the stumps — a method he believes translates across formats.

“My bowling type is all about hitting the stumps; that’s the most important thing in any format: ODI, T20, or Test. Cricket has changed a lot; players try reverse sweeps and sweep shots, so you don’t want to miss those leg-before chances. That was my plan.”

That plan paid off as Kuldeep played a key role in breaking South Africa’s early resistance, providing control in the middle overs and striking at crucial moments.

Bumrah, meanwhile, was at his lethal best, returning 5 for 27 to dismantle South Africa after their promising start. His incisive spells triggered collapses at vital junctures, leaving India firmly in control by stumps.

With Mohammed Siraj (2 for 47) and Axar Patel (1 for 21) also contributing, India’s well-rounded bowling effort ensured South Africa squandered the advantage of winning the toss.

–IANS

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