New Zealand’s Indore ODI hero Daryl Mitchell has revealed that attacking “world-class” spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the very first ball was a deliberate part of the visitors’ game plan, as the Indian wrist-spinner can dictate the tempo of the hosts’ bowling attack when he gets into his rhythm.
Mitchell, in supreme touch, set the tone when he danced down the track to smash Kuldeep for a straight six off the very first delivery the left-armer bowled after being introduced in the 17th over. From that moment, Kuldeep appeared short on confidence, going through the motions rather than stamping his authority on the contest.
The pressure only intensified later in the innings. In the 41st over, Mitchell and Glenn Phillips launched another assault, tonking Kuldeep for massive sixes straight down the ground. On a small Indore surface, the spinner struggled to contain the marauding duo and eventually finished with figures of 1 for 48 from six overs.
It marked the second consecutive game in the series where Kuldeep looked out of rhythm. In Rajkot, the Black Caps had earlier taken him apart, with Mitchell scoring an unbeaten 131 and Will Young chipping in with 85 as New Zealand plundered 82 runs from Kuldeep’s 10 overs. While the left-arm spinner did dismiss Young, the damage had already been done, as India failed to defend a target of 284.
