Destined for greatness: Kuldeep Yadav's Test fifer efficiency projects him as a potential legend

Kuldeep Yadav in action vs WI [Source: AFP]

If you are given only one chance to prove yourself, do it like Kuldeep Yadav. The spinner, who was on the sidelines during India's tour of England, announced his grand comeback in Tests with a sensational five-wicket haul. Kuldeep's fine spell helped India reduce the Windies to a paltry 248-run total, enforcing the follow-on in the ongoing Test match at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. 

Kuldeep bags fifth Test fifer in just 15 matches

Despite debuting way back in March 2017, Kuldeep Yadav has played just 15 matches for India in Test cricket. While his career initially collided with the prime of Ravichandran Ashwin, India's preference for multi-dimensional players over specialists has significantly reduced his participation in the format. 

That said, the wrist spinner has lived up to the expectations whenever he has been given a chance in Test cricket. The fact that Kuldeep has scalped five fifers in just 15 games showcases his mastery in Test cricket. 

Kuldeep's fifer efficiency places him among India's greats

Kuldeep Yadav has bagged five five-wicket hauls in just 27 Test innings, recording an incredible fifer efficiency of 5.4. We have listed India's most successful Test spinners in the chronological order, comparing them based on their efficiency of taking five-wicket hauls in the format. 

As evidenced by the above stats, Kuldeep Yadav takes just over five Test innings to register a fifer. So, statistically, he has been more efficient in this regard than Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Bishen Singh Bedi and BS Chandrasekhar, some of the legendary spinners the game has ever seen. 

His fifer efficiency is at par with Ashwin's, while he has the best strike rate among India's top fifteen spin bowlers in Test history. These facts highlight how impactful he has been in his brief career, rattling the opposition with his guile and variations. 

Kuldeep Yadav: The one-of-a-kind Indian spinner

While Kuldeep Yadav has become twice the bowler he was after remodelling his action, what makes him more unique than the rest on the above list is his bowling style. Being a left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep belongs to the rarest of the spin-bowling categories, signifying his uniqueness in the longest format. Apart from a sharp conventional leg break, Kuldeep has a well-disguised googly in his armour, making him a genuine threat to the best of the teams in Test cricket.

Kuldeep Yadav's fifer distribution across conditions

Barring England and Sri Lanka, where he has barely two Test appearances combined, Kuldeep Yadav has a fifer on every type of soil he has played in. His best bowling figures in Australia read 5/99, while the left-arm spinner has one five-wicket haul in Bangladesh and three in India, showcasing his spin-bowling prowess across conditions. Interestingly, although he doesn't have a fifer in Sri Lanka, Kuldeep's best figures of 4/40 suggest he can excel in the Island nation as well. 

Consistent opportunity is all that Kuldeep Yadav needs

While he has shown his ability to dismantle quality opponents across a wide range of conditions, all Kuldeep Yadav needs is a long rope by the Indian think tank in whites. Only 15 matches in a career spanning eight years isn't justified for a spinner who has four-wicket hauls in seven out of ten Test series. So, considering he's at the peak of his prowess, India must utilise Kuldeep's spin-bowling expertise to the hilt, a move that can certainly strengthen their attack across conditions. 

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