Dubai: The Romans had a cruel way of ensuring maximum drama. They kept the lions hungry before releasing them into the Colosseum. Modern cricket isn’t quite as brutal, but it sometimes feels similar. Players are kept waiting, their hunger building, until the moment they are finally let loose. For the entire duration of India’s five-Test tour of England, Kuldeep Yadav waited patiently on the sidelines. Test after Test, there were calls to play him — and yet, the team sheet never included his name. Perhaps conditions dictated those decisions. But wristspinners are renowned for making the ball talk anywhere, and Kuldeep’s record against England is formidable. Such snubs aren’t new for the Uttar Pradesh mystery-spinner, who has played only 13 Tests since his debut against Australia in Dharamshala in 2017, where he picked four wickets. Despite being a mainstay in white-ball cricket, Kuldeep found himself benched inexplicably at times. Take the 2021 home series against England. Despite being in the squad, he was overlooked for the first Test when Axar Patel was ruled out, with Shahbaz Nadeem rushed in as a replacement. It was a stinging omission that cast doubts over his red-ball future, as R Ashwin, Washington Sundar, and Nadeem were all preferred for their batting. Ironically, later that year, then-coach Ravi Shastri hailed Kuldeep as India’s No. 1 spinner. On Wednesday, Kuldeep finally had his day out — and a hapless UAE lineup had to bear the brunt. He ran through their batting order with figures of 4/7, not with sorcery but with classical wrist-spin craft. He beat batters in the air, varied his pace cleverly, and kept them groping with subtle changes of length. UAE coach Lalchand Rajput summed it up perfectly in the post-match briefing: “It wasn’t a turning track. It was a good wicket to bat on. But players of this skill level — especially wrist-spinners — will always find ways to get turn. Our batters were facing them for the first time and were a bit overawed by India’s big names.” Kuldeep’s career has been as enigmatic as his bowling — often ignored by captains, only to be showered with praise later. But for him, every comeback seems to add another chapter to his growing legacy. He remains the only Indian spinner with five-wicket hauls across formats and is the fastest Indian to reach 50 T20I wickets, in just 30 matches against West Indies in Guyana in 2023. His strike rate (11.9) and average (13.39) are the best among India’s top ten T20I wicket-takers. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, he bagged 14 wickets — including the prized scalp of Babar Azam. Injuries also impacted his career. The 30-year-old battled a sports hernia injury post the T20 World Cup that sidelined him for five months, but he returned stronger than ever — playing a pivotal role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph. His IPL form already hinted at a resurgence as he claimed 15 wickets in 14 matches (ER 7.07). That’s why being left out of the Test XI in England felt like a setback — a reminder that despite his performances, opportunities in red-ball cricket remain scarce. Reflecting on his time in England, Kuldeep admitted the waiting wasn’t easy. “It was tough for me,” he said. “I was working on my bowling and my fitness with Adrian (Le Roux, India’s strength and conditioning coach), and everything came together. In this format, length is everything; it’s about reading what the batters are trying to do and reacting ball by ball.”
