Kuldeep Yadav made an immediate impact on his return to ODI cricket, producing a superb four-wicket spell to help India pull back West Indies after the visitors made a flying start in the first ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
The left-arm wrist-spinner finished with 4/40 in 10 overs, including a maiden, as India restricted West Indies to 295/7 in 50 overs. His intervention proved crucial after the Caribbean side had threatened to post a much bigger total.
Kuldeep Yadav breaks West Indies’ opening stand
West Indies began aggressively after India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl. John Campbell and Justin Greaves took advantage of the conditions, putting together a commanding opening partnership.
The pair added 135 runs for the first wicket, with Campbell reaching his maiden ODI half-century and Greaves continuing to build momentum at the other end.
With the West Indies comfortably placed, India needed a breakthrough. Kuldeep provided exactly that.
The spinner dismissed Campbell for 62 off 60 balls, ending the opening partnership in the 20th over. His ability to change pace and extract turn immediately put the West Indies batters under pressure.
#KuldeepYadav makes an instant impact! 🔥
The partnership is broken and India have their first wicket!#INDvWI 1st ODI 👉 LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/zk2ABY21JG pic.twitter.com/w1tveUomaG
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 27, 2026
Kuldeep runs through West Indies’ middle order
Kuldeep’s spell became even more influential as West Indies attempted to rebuild.
He removed captain Shai Hope for 12, before producing his most important burst of the innings. After Greaves completed his maiden ODI century, Kuldeep dismissed him for 101 off 108 balls.
The spinner then struck again with the very next delivery, sending back Jewel Andrew for a duck. The double blow left West Indies struggling at 198/5 and brought India firmly back into the contest.
It was a classic middle-overs performance from Kuldeep. Rather than simply containing the scoring, he repeatedly attacked the stumps and forced West Indies’ batters to take risks.
Crucial breakthroughs served with a touch of magic ✨
🎥 Watch how Kuldeep Yadav shifted the momentum for #TeamIndia 💙
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/O2cs86p4gq#INDvWI | @mflone_ | @imkuldeep18 pic.twitter.com/nAt1GOrcW2
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 27, 2026
Four-wicket haul highlights Kuldeep’s ODI comeback
Kuldeep’s return is particularly noteworthy because he had not featured in India’s recent ODI plans. His performance in Thiruvananthapuram therefore arrived at an important time, with India building towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.
His figures of 4 for 40 were comfortably the best among India’s bowlers. Prasidh Krishna claimed two wickets for 60 runs, while Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up one wicket.
The performance also demonstrated the value of having a specialist wrist-spinner in India’s ODI attack. Kuldeep was able to break partnerships when the West Indies were threatening to accelerate.
Justin Greaves’ century, Amir Jangoo’s late flourish take WI to 295
While Kuldeep dominated India’s bowling effort, Greaves provided the foundation for the West Indies innings.
Greaves scored 101 from 108 deliveries, hitting 12 boundaries, and became the first West Indies batter to register an ODI century against India on this tour. His dismissal immediately after reaching three figures prevented the visitors from pushing towards an even bigger score.
Amir Jangoo then supplied a late surge, remaining unbeaten on 58 from 43 balls. His aggressive innings helped West Indies recover from 198/5 and finish on 295/7.
Also WATCH: Rohit Sharma takes a superb catch to dismiss Jewel Andrew in IND vs WI 1st ODI
