IND vs SA Live Score: Tristan Stubbs hails Kuldeep Yadav’s masterful delivery in Guwahati Test
Tristan Stubbs admitted that Kuldeep Yadav completely outfoxed him with a single delivery on Day One of the second Test in Guwahati, showing that experience and skill can trump familiarity. The Delhi Capitals teammates have faced each other many times in the nets, but Stubbs confessed that Kuldeep’s first ball of a new spell had him dancing despite his prior knowledge.
Stubbs, who fell just short of a half-century scoring 49 off 113 balls, had earlier struck Kuldeep for a couple of sixes. However, the spinner tossed one up, allowing it to drift in the air and deviate after pitching. Stubbs’s hands moved without corresponding footwork, resulting in a simple catch for KL Rahul at first slip.
“I have faced him quite a few times. This was the first ball of his new spell and I think the best one he has bowled,” Stubbs said after the day’s play. “From my angle, it sort of beat me in the drift, that’s sort of why my hands got away. For him to bowl that first ball coming back, I thought it was quite impressive.”
Stubbs also revealed some light-hearted banter with Kuldeep, who teased him about the batter’s constant complaints that the spinner doesn’t bowl enough to him in the Delhi nets. “He walked past and said, ‘You can’t say I don’t bowl to you anymore,’” Stubbs laughed.
Promoted to No. 3 by head coach Shukri Conrad, Stubbs acknowledged that the mental adjustment of batting higher in the order was more challenging than the technical side. “It’s not the easiest thing moving around, but I’ve just tried to tighten my game plan, focus on defence, and manage scoring options,” he said.
Reflecting on the Barsapara surface, Stubbs noted that while it is better for surviving than Kolkata, it doesn’t allow free-flowing strokeplay. “You can bat time, but the scoreboard doesn’t move much. The seamers bowled straight and tight, attacking the stumps, and we had chances but didn’t really capitalise. That’s on us,” he added.
Stubbs’s reflections underscore the challenges of adapting to Indian conditions and facing quality spin, while highlighting the subtle tactical battles that make Test cricket so compelling.
