Former England skipper Michael Atherton shared his surprise after India decided to leave out Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test against England. Bumrah has been rested for the second Test to manage his workload but his absence has left many experts shocked.
India is already trailing by 1-0 in the series after they lost the opening Test match by five wickets at Leeds, Headingley. Bumrah is India’s best fast bowler and he had bagged 5-83 in the first innings of the opening Test.
Atherton said he would have also played Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI as he would have got the ball to swing and created footmarks for Kuldeep Yadav.
“If I had been in their shoes, it would have been Bumrah for the big game, can’t afford to lose this game. I would have picked Siraj, who I thought improved throughout that game at Headingley, I would have picked the left-armer, Arshdeep Singh, for swing and to create some footmarks by the right hander’s off stump for Kuldeep Yadav, who I would have also played, and also Ravindra Jadeja. I would not have worried too much about runs at No.8,” Mike Atherton said on commentary when he was asked about India’s playing XI by Dinesh Karthik.
“Good, thank you. I think Gautam Gambhir would appreciate that a lot. You answered it very nicely, all of India would be impressed,” Dinesh Karthik said in reply after Atherton disagreed with Gambhir’s picks.
Meanwhile, Washington Sundar was backed ahead of Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI. Atherton said he would have included Yadav in the team as the wrist spinner could have troubled the England batters.
Yadav has scalped 56 wickets in 13 Test matches at an impressive average of 22.16. Against England, Kuldeep has bagged 21 wickets in six Test matches at an impressive average of 22.28.
“We, in England, find it curious that Kuldeep Yadav has played 13 games in the last seven years since his debut, and I know that you have had some great spinners. But, I think England are happy that your left-arm wrist spinner is not playing,” Atherton added.
India ended the opening day’s play at 310-5 after Shubman Gill scored a fine century.
