India spinner Kuldeep Yadav has said that he shares a good bowling partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal and it orders well for the side that both the spinners played in tandem against Sri Lanka.
On Sunday, Kuldeep and Chahal showcased signs of form. It has been a while since the two bowlers, jointly known as Kul-Cha of Indian cricket, had played a game together.
Their forms have dipped over the past few months which has led to both Kuldeep and Chahal being in and out of the team. But on Sunday, the two put their best foot forward, as they both picked up two wickets each.
Kuldeep and Chahal slowed down Sri Lanka in the middle overs, which helped them to restrict the hosts to a total of 262/9 in 50 overs. India captain Shikhar Dhawan scored an unbeaten 86 as the visitors won the match by 7 wickets, chasing down the total in the 37th over.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kuldeep said that he was happy to bowl alongside Chahal and find his rhythm back.
"Very happy that after a long time Chahal and I got to play together for the team. We are comfortable with each other and we back each other. We both share inputs on the field whenever it is required, the bonding is nice between us both. We performed well together, we played after a long time and it orders well for the side," Kuldeep said.
"I was trying to vary my pace as the wicket was dry in the first innings. The wicket offered some assistance for the spinners, I was varying my pace depending on the batsmen. Very happy with the way team performed in this match," Kuldeep added.
The left-arm bowler further explained how coach Rahul Dravid helped him gain confidence and motivation before the encounter.
"Nervousness is always there when you step out to the field. Rahul Sir backed me and he motivated me. We talked a lot and he told me to enjoy my bowling and not worry about the result. I am happy that I performed well. Obviously, you are nervous when you play cricket after a long time, the way the team performed, I am very happy with it," Kuldeep said.
"We have come to play cricket here. We are lucky that we are getting to play cricket. There are many youngsters in the side, we are not worried about what anyone is saying. We are just here to enjoy our cricket. It is difficult to stay in bubbles, when you are not playing there are doubts that can creep in. It's sport at the end of the day, someone gets the chance and someone doesn't," he added.
