WATCH: Kuldeep Yadav sends strong message to Gautam Gambhir with 10-wicket haul in County Cricket

Kuldeep Yadav helped Yorkshire secure a big win over Essex in the County Championship.

The Indian Test team is currently going through a transition phase. The management is exploring various options for the playing XI. With the team looking for the right combination in the spin department, competition for places has also increased.

India recently toured Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series, where several players got opportunities to make their mark. The spin department also had some changes as the team looked for the best combination for different conditions.

Kuldeep Yadav has remained one of India’s most talented spin options in recent years. However, despite regularly being part of the squad, the left-arm wrist-spinner has not always found a place in the Playing XI.

Now, Kuldeep has made his latest statement away from international cricket. Playing for Yorkshire in the County Championship, Yadav gave one of the best performances of his first-class career.

Kuldeep Yadav shines for Yorkshire against Essex

Kuldeep Yadav picked up 10 wickets for 120 runs as Yorkshire defeated Essex by an innings and 106 runs in the County Championship. He took four wickets for 70 runs in the first innings and then claimed six wickets for 50 runs in the second innings.

The performance was Kuldeep’s best-ever bowling figures in first-class cricket. His spell also helped Yorkshire bowl Essex out for 171 and 113 after the hosts had posted 390 in their first innings.

Kuldeep also performed well with the bat, scoring 36 off 94 balls. He had an 83-run partnership with England veteran Dom Bess.

Headingley conditions helped Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep said that the conditions at Headingley helped him make the most of his bowling. Unlike the slower surfaces he usually gets in India, the pitch in England offered extra pace after the ball landed.

“It was a lovely wicket to bowl on because you don’t have to bowl quick in terms of pace because the wicket already has pace in it,” Kuldeep told Yorkshire Cricket TV.

“After pitching, you can see there is a bit of quickness, and you just have to spin the ball and put a lot of revs on it. Ultimately, that was the key,” he added.

With his recent performances in county cricket, Kuldeep has responded strongly to head coach Gautam Gambhir and the Indian selectors, who had not been showing faith in him. His ability to take wickets in English conditions also shows that his bowling can be effective away from India’s slower pitches

The Yorkshire performance has also taken Kuldeep closer to an important personal milestone. He now has 199 first-class wickets from 53 matches, and is just one wicket away from the 200-wicket mark.

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