Kuldeep Yadav claimed his maiden first-class 10-wicket haul for Yorkshire against Essex. His sharp-turning delivery to Zaman Akhter went viral, with fans comparing it to Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’. Yorkshire won by an innings and 106 runs.
Team India wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, playing for Yorkshire, has taken English county cricket by storm, delivering a mesmerising spell in the County Championship match against Essex at Headingley in Leeds.
Kuldeep recorded his maiden 10-wicket haul in his first-class career, with stellar figures of 10/120 in Yorkshire’s innings and a 106-run victory over Essex. The Indian spinner picked up four wickets while conceding 70 runs in the first innings, followed by the 10th five-wicket haul of his first-class career, claiming 6 for 50 in the second innings to dismantle the visitors completely.
Alongside his bowling masterclass, Kuldeep Yadav also contributed with the bat in Yorkshire’s first innings, scoring 36 off 115 balls and forming a crucial 83-run partnership with Dom Bess to help the hosts post a respectable total of 390 before bowling Essex out for 171 in response, setting the stage for his second-innings heroics that ultimately sealed a famous win.
Related Articles
Also Read: ECB omits Brydon Carse from Sri Lanka tour to let him 'reset'
Kuldeep’s Magical Delivery Goes ,Viral
As Kuldeep Yadav delivered his masterclass on a wearing Headingley pitch, one particular delivery that became the highlight of his spell sent social media into overdrive and quickly sparked comparisons to legendary wrist-spin spells.
In the second innings of Essex’s batting, Kuldeep Yadav was seen spinning a web around batter Zaman Akhter, who was completely beaten after leaving a sharply turning delivery that crashed into his stumps. The batter was visibly stunned, turning around in disbelief before walking back to the pavilion.
The sharp turn left Akhter confused about whether the ball had pitched outside leg stump before turning sharply to beat his defence and crash into the stumps.
Kuldeep Yadav’s Zaman Akhter left Essex further reeling at 84/8 before being bundled out for 113, with the Indian spinner taking the final wicket of Essex. Apart from Zaman, Kuldeep picked up the wickets of Matt Critchley, Luc Benkenstein, George Bell, Zaman Akhter, and Sam Cook to complete his stellar outing in the second innings,
Out of the 10 wickets Kuldeep Yadav picked up, five were bowled, dismantling the Essex batting lineup with sheer guile and precision.
Fans Call Kuldeep’s Delivery ‘Ball of the Century’ Contender
Kuldeep Yadav’s sensational delivery to Zaman Akhter sparked reactions on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts praising the Indian spinner’s remarkable turn and comparing the delivery to Shane Warne’s iconic wrist-spin magic.
Taking to X, fans praised Kuldeep’s sensational delivery, with one calling it ‘magical’ and another describing it as ‘Ball of the century.’ Several fans compared Kuldeep to Shane Warne, while others called him ‘Prime Warne’ and ‘Our Desi Warne.’
However, some fans focused on Kuldeep’s impact in overseas conditions, arguing that his performances in SENA countries show he has been underutilised outside India. Others highlighted the extent of the turn and praised the wrist-spinner for producing a delivery reminiscent of the magic associated with Warne.
Kuldeep Yadav is expected to feature in the remaining two Yorkshire matches against Somerset and Nottinghamshire on September 15 and 24, respectively. Yorkshire are currently fifth in the Division 1 points table with 4 wins and 4 losses from 12 outings, and have accumulated 142 points.
Also Read: Uncapped Indian pacer Auqib Nabi shines on County debut for Surrey
