"He is a bit like Virat Kohli" - Dinesh Karthik on Kuldeep Yadav's transformation

Veteran Dinesh Karthik recently pointed out how Kuldeep Yadav, just like Virat Kohli, worked hard on his fitness following an early stint with the national team.

Speaking about Kuldeep's resurgence, Karthik opined that a player has to see the lows to be able to bounce back and rise again. During a discussion on Cricbuzz after Day 1 of the ongoing Dharamsala Test, the cricketer-commentator said:

"You do look at his (Kuldeep Yadav) pictures, he is a bit like Virat Kohli in the sense that he used to look very different to what he is today. He's just evolved as a bowler and as a player. Sometimes, you need to go through hardships to realize how much you need to work, and that's the beauty of sport, it always pushes you to a corner, and you have to come out fighting."

Following a promising debut, Kuldeep was lost somewhere in the shuffle, even losing his place in the Indian team. To make matters worse, he picked up a knee injury and underwent surgery in 2021.

The 29-year-old did not let the injury derail his career and made a fantastic return. With consistent performances across formats, he once again carved a niche for himself in the Men in Blue's star-studded lineup.

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"I'll plan to have Kuldeep's poster in my room now" - Dinesh Karthik mighty impressed by Kuldeep Yadav's bowling exploits in Dharamsala Test

England won the toss and elected to bat first on Day 1. However, the Indian spinners dominated the proceedings, with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin running through the visitors' batting unit.

Kuldeep was the pick of the bowlers on the opening day, bagging a stunning five-wicket haul to help India bundle out England for just 218.

Reacting to the bowler's incredible performance, Dinesh Karthik said:

"I think I'll plan to have Kuldeep's poster in my room now. That's how well he's bowled. He looked beautiful. It was a day that completely belonged at the start to R Ashwin and Devdutt Padikkal, but as the day progressed, Kuldeep completely shone. He just showed the world how beautiful it is to have a left-arm wrist-spinner have the batters of the opposition completely bamboozled."

India finished 135/1 at stumps on Day 1, trailing England by 83. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will resume batting on the second day at 52 and 26, respectively.