Kuldeep Yadav grabbed a superb six-wicket haul as India dismissed England for just 268 in the first One-Day International at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Only on June 19, on the same ground, England had compiled a record total of 481 for six against Australia. It was a different story on Thursday as the 23-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner finished with career ODI-best figures of six for 25.
After Kuldeep had run through England’s top order with a burst of three wickets for five runs in 10 balls, Ben Stokes (50) and Jos Buttler (53) repaired the damage with a fifth-wicket stand of 93. But neither batsman could break the shackles and eventually fell to Kuldeep.
Kuldeep’s return represented just the third time an overseas spinner had taken a five-wicket haul in an ODI in England following Sri Lankan bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan’s five for 34 (Lord’s, 1998) and Suraj Randiv’s five for 42 (Old Trafford, 2011).
England, in the absence of the injured Alex Hales, saw openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow put on a brisk 73 after India captain Virat Kohli sent it to bat. But the introduction of Kuldeep, in his 21st match at this level, changed the course of the innings.
Strikes early
It took Kuldeep, a thorn in England’s side during India’s 2-1 win in the Twenty20 series, just two balls to strike.
Roy mistimed his reverse sweep and gave a dolly catch to Umesh Yadav and fell for 38. Test captain Joe Root then played back to Kuldeep and was plumb lbw for three.
Bairstow had looked in excellent touch but, like Roy, he too fell for 38 when lbw to Kuldeep on review.
Spin also proved the undoing of England captain Eoin Morgan (19) when he carelessly chipped leg-break bowler Yuzvendra Chahal to Suresh Raina at midwicket. Morgan’s exit left England 105 for four in the 20th over.
Stokes and Buttler stemmed the flow of wickets without breaking the shackles. Buttler completed a 45-ball fifty, with five fours, including a stylish cover-drive off Umesh. But with England hoping he would cut loose, Buttler was dismissed when a glance off Kuldeep was well caught down the leg-side by M.S. Dhoni.
The normally hard-hitting Stokes then completed a fifty off a sedate 102 balls, with just two fours. He was also unable to press on and one ball after reaching his fifty, the left-hander tried to reverse sweep Kuldeep only for debutant Siddarth Kaul, who had been at short third man, to hold an excellent catch.
Kuldeep, who did not concede a boundary in his maximum 10 overs, struck again with his final delivery when David Willey holed out to K.L. Rahul.
