Kuldeep Yadav produced a stunning spell to run riot against the West Indies batting in the second Test at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. The left-arm wrist-spinner took five wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 248 after lunch on Day 3.
With this performance, Kuldeep equaled the record for the most five-wicket hauls by a left-arm wrist-spinner in Test cricket. He now has five fifers in just 15 matches, matching England’s Johnny Wardle, who achieved the same number in 28 Tests. Kuldeep also went past former South African spinner Paul Adams, who had four fifers in 45 Tests.
Kuldeep’s spell of 5 for 82 helped India gain a massive 270-run lead, forcing West Indies to follow on. His control and clever variations made all the difference on a pitch that offered little help for spinners.
He broke the back of the Windies batting in the morning session. Shai Hope was bowled by a delivery that drifted and turned sharply. Tevin Imlach was trapped in front soon after, while Justin Greaves fell lbw trying a reverse sweep.
The lower order tried to resist. Khary Pierre and Anderson Phillip added 46 runs for the ninth wicket before Jasprit Bumrah ended Pierre’s stay. The final pair added 27 more runs before Kuldeep finished the job, trapping Jayden Seales lbw with a googly.
This five-wicket haul underlined Kuldeep’s growing impact in red-ball cricket. His strike rate of 33.8 against the West Indies shows how effective he has been.
Earlier, India had declared their first innings at 518 for 5, led by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 175 and Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 129. With a big lead and Kuldeep in top form, India took firm control of the match heading into Day 4.
