I never thought I would end up taking a hat-trick: Kuldeep Yadav tells Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Kuldeep Yadav became the third Indian bowler to pick a hat-trick in ODIs when he got three wickets against Australia in the second ODI in Kolkata. Calling it a special moment, the left-arm spinner said that since the start was not good, never thought he could take a hat-trick. After the match, in a BCCI video, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is talking to Kuldeep as they analyse India’s 50-run win over Australia which gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Excerpts: Bhuvneshwar Kumar: You are the third Indian to take a hat-trick after Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev. Did you think it was possible? Kuldeep Yadav: It feels really special now, as that start was not good. With the kind of start I had, I never thought I would end up taking a hat-trick. I did not bowl well from one end and it was getting difficult to grip the ball as it was getting wet. When my end was changed, I wanted to pick one wicket to put the pressure back on Australia. A partnership was built and it was crucial for us to get a breakthrough at that moment. I wanted to try out my variations, but was looking to land the ball in the right areas. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: You play for KKR. You must have felt familiar playing here at the Eden Gardens. Kuldeep Yadav: Yes, I have been playing at the Eden Gardens for a few years now as it is KKR’s home ground. The pitch was familiar. It felt like a home ground to me today as well when I stepped out and that is why I wanted to leave a big imprint. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Let’s talk about your variations and the hat-trick. What was your plan for the hat-trick ball? Kuldeep Yadav: For the hat-trick ball, I didn’t think I would get a wicket if the ball spun in. The only way in that scenario would have been a bat-pad opportunity. There was a slip in place so I chose the wrong’un. Later, it was Kuldeep who asked questions from Bhuvneshwar and the Indian pacer explained how he uses a new ball and how he dismissed David Warner Kuldeep Yadav: Everyone knows you bowl well with the new ball and are equally effective when the ball gets old. What are the things you focus when you are handed a new ball? Bhuvneshwar Kumar: We knew that we had to take wickets at regular intervals to win the match as our total was 251. I try not to put extra pressure on me and not get too desperate for a wicket. I wanted to swing the ball and bowl as many dots as possible. Kuldeep Yadav: You bowled very well to David Warner. You play for SRH, but I have noticed that he does not read you. You dismissed him cheaply. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: I know what his strengths and weaknesses are as I bowl a lot to him in the nets. He also knows my weaker areas. He knows what length I am going to bowl, but a lot depends on how well you execute your plans. During Test matches, catches had gone down and today his catch was taken and that is a part and parcel of the game. You need a bit of luck going your way. Kuldeep Yadav: Since the Sri Lanka tour, you have been contributing regularly with the bat. You did that in Chennai and again helped us get a competitive total in Kolkata. Have you changed anything? Bhuvneshwar Kumar: I haven’t changed my approach much, but I am a lot more confident about my batting thanks to Assistant Coach Sanjay Bangar. He works hard on my batting in the nets. He said I can contribute with the bat in ODIs too. I know I can’t hit sixes like MS Dhoni or Hardik Pandya does, but when there is a situation where you have to bat for 15 or 20 overs, I can handle that well. The half-century in Sri Lanka (53 not out) came under similar circumstances and it gave me a lot of confidence. Kuldeep Yadav: What was your first reaction when Hardik Pandya at the other end got hit by your ferocious stroke? Bhuvneshwar Kumar: I checked my bat just to reconfirm that it was indeed me who struck the ball with so much power. When he got hit, we were all worried. It looked like a serious blow, but thankfully he was alright. Once he was back on his feet, we began planning about building a partnership.