Galle, Aug 15 (IANS) Calling it a ‘massive honour’ to be part of India’s milestone 600th Test match, star left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav on Saturday said the team has had ample time to adapt to local conditions and get used to the Kookaburra ball ahead of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
“Firstly, it’s a massive honour to be part of India’s 600th Test match on Independence Day. To be part of the 600, it’s a big feeling and very happy about that. Look, it was very important, firstly, to get that 10 days of window.
“Then obviously, practice at Colombo for like six days, and those six days were very good in terms of preparing in all the conditions. But I mean, we got enough time to prepare for the Test series,” Kuldeep said in a pre-match chat with the broadcasters.
Conditions in Sri Lanka often present unique challenges, particularly regarding the behaviour of the pitch due to its spin-friendly nature. Addressing the adaptation process, Kuldeep noted the squad had already engaged in detailed discussions to tackle the shift from the SG balls used in India to the Kookaburra balls utilized here.
“There are a few guys who are travelling here for the first time and conditions are different, in terms of the wicket, but we have played enough cricket back home. We also had a chat about how the Kookaburra ball behaves here comparing to the SG ball.
“In terms of planning and if you look at the other spinners, we’ll get extra bounce here. So those were the chats we had amongst the group. I’m pretty sure they’re ready to go,” he added.
Focusing on the venue at Galle, known historically for offering assistance to spinners alongside strong seaside breezes, Kuldeep highlighted the specific factors spinners will need to account for during the match.
“I mean, if you look at the last couple of games in Galle, it was good batting pitches. If you get a spinning track, it may spin more and the wind factor plays a huge role in the ball going from right to left. It will be a good experience,” he concluded.
–IANS
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