Despite leaking runs, I was looking for wickets: Kuldeep

Indore, Dec 22 (IANS) India's chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who scalped crucial three wickets to hand India a 88-run victory against Sri Lanka on Friday, said despite conceding runs, he was looking for wickets.

In his four overs, Kuldeep gave 52 runs but chipped in with three crucial wickets.

Kuldeep also said that skipper Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped him to get the wickets.

"First three overs, 45 runs, but I was always thinking about wickets. I knew if I got one, I would probably get the second one. The first over (I bowled) was slow in the air, but the wicket was good to bat on and the ball was coming on nicely. Later on I was bowling wide of the batsman," Kuldeep said after the match.

"I realized that I need to bowl it into the wicket. They (Dhoni and Rohit) were backing me and telling to look for the wicket. Small ground with small boundaries, Dhoni and Rohit were telling me to keep away from the batsman and try the variations outside the off-stump. Seven wickets in three overs really changed the game," he added.

Rohit Sharma, who blasted a 35-ball century, piloted India to a mammoth 260, the joint-second highest T20I total. In reply Sri Lankan batsmen struggled and were dismissed at 172, losing the series 0-2.