The pitch isn’t exactly taken out of the equation by his wristiness, but the dependence on the surface is definitely reduced greatly. That’s what made Yadav such an asset on a seaming Dharamsala pitch against Australia on his debut and then against England last year, as well as in Delhi last month on a slow track where the match barely moved. He doesn’t rely on turn, but it helps if the pitch provides some.

The track at Guwahati definitely had some, along with a nice even bounce, so bringing in Yadav early was a no-brainer. Brought in the second hour, Yadav dismissed Ryan Rickleton just after tea. With Tristan Stubbs, though, commenced a cat and mouse game that finds its roots in the IPL where they both featured for Delhi Capitals.

“We’ve always chirped each other that he hasn’t often bowled to me, and then today he walked past and he said, you can’t say I don’t bowl to you anymore,” said Stubbs

Stubbs batting at No 3 is a fairly new development, a decision broadly based on his improved defence but more due to a better mental space. And it showed as well when Ravindra Jadeja came to the attack, Stubbs often coming down the pitch to take the ball fuller. He deployed the same tactic to Yadav on his first ball, pressing forward to block him off. Yadav flighted the ball, slipped in a leg-break but Stubbs kept coming forward.

The pace is important here. Yadav has a knack to slip in the arm ball at a quicker pace, but he can do the same with leg breaks as well. The fullish balls are not always full, but the one time Yadav tossed it up, Stubbs got to the pitch of it and lofted it over long-on for six.

Probably all of that was part of an elaborate setup that usually makes Yadav look expensive but actually gets him closer to the wicket. Crucial was the 44th over where Yadav didn’t give a single run to Stubbs, making him either defend or play to the field. This was also the phase South Africa’s innings had started to flag, leading to the dismissal of Temba Bavuma off Jadeja.

Well set, it was but natural for Stubbs to take charge. The pace off the pitch helped him negate Jadeja better, and with boundaries coming off both him and Jasprit Bumrah, Stubbs was inching towards a coveted fifty. Enter Yadav, drawing Stubbs with a ball slanted across him that bounced probably more than anticipated and caught his outside edge, flying to KL Rahul at first slip.

“It sort of beat me in the drift, that’s sort of why my hands got away,” said Stubbs. “On a day one wicket, that’s probably how he’s trying to get you out. For him to bowl that first ball of his, coming back, I thought it was quite impressive.”

For India, it’s more than just an advantage having someone like Yadav who can basically modify his trajectory, pace and degree of turn to offer an endless number of combinations that can bamboozle batters.

“We know Kuldeep’s strike rate is phenomenal as it is. He’s a wicket taker and that’s why we’re picking,” said India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. “Maybe he was slightly more effective today because he sort of gets overspin, (and) with the red soil (there was) a little bit more pace in the wicket.”

Even if he doesn’t get that, trust Yadav to announce himself in ways only he can