During the two months in England when he was warming the bench, the easy way would have been to blame anyone and everyone for his failure to fit into India’s playing XI, but Kuldeep Yadav chose to traverse the tougher route.

While spinners who can bat are in vogue these days, Kuldeep has his priorities clear and won’t deviate from his philosophy. “If I play in any team, I will play as a [specialist] bowler. My job is to take wickets. If I don’t take wickets, there will be no place for me. It is very important to understand that when you play as a proper bowler, your job is to take wickets for the team,” Kuldeep said on Thursday.