Kuldeep Yadav surpasses Ashwin and Kumble; registers the best bowling figures by an Indian in Bangladesh

Kuldeep’s last Test appearance came in February 2021 where his performance gave way to some mediocre showdowns, plagued with injuries and modesty, a determining factor that left the chinaman spinner out of India’s playing squad for a long time. It was indeed a remarkable way to fall out of favour before his recent heroics in the IPL and the India A tours got him a call-up to the Indian Test squad that was supposed to tour Bangladesh.

Kuldeep registered figures of 5 for 40 to dismantle Bangladesh for a paltry 150, thereby imparting a ginormous lead of 254 runs. It wasn’t just with the ball that Kuldeep showcased his sheen but he also managed to stitch an important partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin to allow India to reach the hallowed mark of a 400-plus total in the first innings.

This was Kuldeep Yadav’s third fifer in Test cricket while also being his best figures in the longest format of the sport. However, in doing so, he left behind other Indian greats namely Ravichandran Ashwin and Anil Kumble to pen history for himself at Chottogram. Previously the record of the best bowling figures by an Indian spinner against Bangladesh was held by Ravichandran Ashwin who surpassed Anil Kumble’s impressive digits of 4 for 55 by claiming numbers of 5 for 87.

Kuldeep Yadav’s fifer came at the expense of the least runs conceded by a turner in Indian colours in red-ball cricket to impart the glittering mantle to him. Before Kuldeep, only two Indian spinners had managed to register a fifer in Bangladesh, Ravichandran Ashwin and Sunil Joshi. The best bowling figures by an Indian in Bangladesh belongs to Zaheer Khan who notched up 7 for 87 against the hosts at Mirpur in 2007.