Kuldeep Yadav scripts history, becomes first cricketer in 68 years to achieve remarkable milestone
Kuldeep Yadav Creates History with Five-Wicket Haul Against West Indies
Kuldeep Yadav made history on the third day of the first Test between India and West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday, October 12. The left-arm wrist-spinner picked up a five-wicket haul, extending his impressive Test record despite limited opportunities in the longest format.
Playing only his 15th Test since debuting in 2017, the 30-year-old built on his strong performance in the Ahmedabad Test to finish with figures of 5-82, dismissing Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, and Justin Greaves.
World Record for Left-Arm Wrist-Spinners
Kuldeep became only the second left-arm wrist-spinner in history to claim five five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, a feat previously achieved 68 years ago by England’s Johnny Wardle.
Most Five-Wicket Hauls by Left-Arm Spinners in Tests
| Player | Years (First to Last Five-Fer) | Five-Wicket Hauls |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 2018–2025 | 5 |
| Johnny Wardle | 1954–1957 | 5 |
| Paul Adams | 1996–2003 | 4 |
Kuldeep not only surpassed Paul Adams’ tally, but he also became the fastest left-arm wrist-spinner to reach this milestone, achieving it in just 15 matches — Wardle needed 28 games.
His bowling strike rate of 37 is the best among all spinners with over 50 Test wickets, ahead of England’s Johnny Briggs, who recorded a strike rate of 45 in 33 matches with 118 wickets. Kuldeep currently has 65 wickets in 15 Tests, at an average of 21.90.
Setback in Second Innings
However, Kuldeep had a less effective outing in the second innings, bowling 11 overs for 53 runs without taking a wicket before stumps.
