Kuldeep Yadav Breaks Down His Bowling Philosophy, Ace Spinner Says His Gameplan For India Is 'Very Clear'

Guwahati (Assam) [India]: India's veteran spinner Kuldeep Yadav, ahead of the second Test against South Africa is set to be played in Guwahati from Saturday, shared his perspective as an attacking bowler.

Yadav emphasised his role as an attacking bowler, stating that he has clarity on his job courtesy of the support from the Indian coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill. Yadav further noted he maintains an aggressive mindset, focusing on taking wickets.

"I am very clear as an attacking bowler, I know my role over the years. The coach and the captain have given me a lot of clarity and support. I always keep an attacking mindset and bowl accordingly. That's my job; taking wickets. That's how they look at me," Kuldeep Yadav said on JioStar.

Yadav believes Test cricket is a challenging yet enjoyable format, and playing for India in all formats is a "luxury". He aims to focus on fitness and performance over the next 4-5 years to make the most of his Test opportunities.

"Everyone loves Test cricket. It's a format that everyone enjoys, but it's also very challenging. Obviously, you want to play in all formats, but if you get a chance to play Test cricket, you enjoy it. Playing in all formats for India is a luxury. The next 4-5 years are very important for me in Test cricket, so I will focus on maintaining my fitness and keep performing like this," Yadav added.

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India will face South Africa in the second and final Test in Guwahati on Saturday, seeking to bounce back from a 30-run defeat in the series opener and level the series 1-1.

India's speedster Mohammed Siraj, ahead of the second Test, felt that facing strong teams like South Africa boosts his confidence, as it helps him identify and fix his mistakes.

"When you're playing against a good team, and you're bowling against good batsmen and taking their wickets, you get a lot of confidence. Because when you play against a strong team, you quickly realise where you're making a mistake. So, it's good that I'm playing against a team like South Africa. It's a lot of fun," Siraj said.

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Meanwhile, India suffered a major blow ahead of the second Test, as skipper Shubman Gill is set to miss the fixture due to the neck injury he suffered in the first Test in Kolkata. Team India vice-captain Rishabh Pant will stand in as captain in Guwahati.

With Gill ruled out, India may need to pick one of Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, or Nitish Kumar Reddy to fill his spot.