Kuldeep Yadav a left-armed Shane Warne, says Michael Vaughan: Here’s how the Australian leggie helped the chinaman make a mark in his early Test cricket days

India were at a spot of bother at the start of the third day of the fourth Test against England in Ranchi. Already having lost seven wickets in their first innings, the hosts still trailed by a sizeable margin with the duo of Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav hanging in the middle. It was then that Kuldeep showed his acumen with the bat as he batted out 131 deliveries in a hard-toiled partnership to keep India in the game.

As the day progressed, the chinaman spinner would take over the proceedings with the ball, closing out the day with four wickets in hand, having put India not too far away from clinching the series. Such was the impact of Kuldeep’s bowling that former England skipper Michael Vaughan would compare him to the late Shane Warne no less.

“The best compliment I can give Kuldeep Yadav...today he has bowled like a left armed Shane Warne,” Vaughan wrote on X. 

The Indian left-arm spinner has been vocal about his special bond with the former Australian leg spinner. In late 2018, having already displaced Ravichandran Ashwin – alongside Yuzvendra Chahal – in the white-ball space, Kuldeep was yet to make a dent in the red ball space. He’d made his debut back in 2017 and only had five outings under his belt until the tour of Australia. In an appearance on the YouTube talk show Breakfast With Champions, Kuldeep had shared how Warne had calmed his nerves ahead of his first Test series in Australia back in 2018.

“I was very nervous before the match. He came to me and said, ‘I don’t know how you’re going to bowl in this match. But I just want you to be happy on the ground. Just do it with a smile.’ I remembered that and when I took a fifer (in Sydney), I dedicated it to him. He had tears in his eyes.”

India’s pick of the bowlers having nabbed a fifer in the second innings, Ashwin also sang high praises of his spin compatriot.

Speaking to the host broadcasters at the end of the day’s play, Ashwin conceded that Kuldeep’s batting at the start of the day kept the Indian dressing room calm, “It was hard on him (Kuldeep) yesterday, we sent him to bat a bit too early than what he would have desired. I felt his defence was good, he showed a lot of grit and composure, kept the dressing room calm.”

He’d then pivot to Kuldeep’s next act. “What I loved about Kuldeep today was the way he worked on his run-up, momentum and all that sort of stuff,. We all know how much revs he can put on the ball, what skill he has got. The change of pace that changes the trajectory, which he is willing to do now… I think he double the bowler that he is. Really happy for him. I just stole the fifer away from him.”

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Snapping Zak Crawley – England’s highest run getter in the second innings – Kuldeep also got rid of England captain Ben Stokes, Tom Hartley and Ollie Robinson as India managed to bundle the visitors for 145.

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