Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Kuldeep Yadav’s handling after India won the opening Test match against Sri Lanka by 165 runs at Galle on Wednesday. Kuldeep had looked toothless in the first innings, returning with figures of 1-65 in 14 overs he bowled. In the second innings, Kuldeep conceded 38 runs in 11 overs, without any wicket to his name. Thus, there are doubts over his selection in the second Test.
Ashwin said Kuldeep should be bowled in the first 30 overs after he was introduced into the attack in the 29th over by Gill in the second innings. Furthermore, Ashwin said it is difficult to get the right rhythm with shorter spells for a spinner.
“We could comfortably see that Kuldeep Yadav was the third spinner in this bowling attack. He was the third spinner even when Jadeja and I were playing. It is not easy to play as a third or fourth spinner in the playing XI. It is also not easy to bowl with the Kookaburra ball in Sri Lanka after the 30-over mark. Honestly, if you have to bowl Kuldeep in these conditions it has to be in the first 30 overs. You cannot bring him late into the attack, and a spinner will never get rhythm with short spells,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin noted that Kuldeep’s confidence is not high and added that the wrist spinner finds himself in a difficult situation.
“Already, as it is, his confidence is not that high. When KL Rahul came out to lead the side when Shubman Gill was off the field, he brought Kuldeep Yadav into the attack. So you can see a couple of things from this. Maybe he is not the preferred priority for Shubman Gill as a captain. It is a very, very difficult situation that Kuldeep finds himself in, I have all the sympathies. Did his skill go away? That must not have happened. You have kept him out game after game and even in the game he is given a chance, he is not used properly, it is not the player’s fault,” Ashwin continued.
The former CSK spinner urged team’s think tank not to drop Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test.
“You can go with the same playing XI for the second Test, unless you want a third seamer. If you wanted to play Saransh Jain, it should have been this match. If you have won the Test, what is the need to make any change? I don’t see a reason why you need to make a change to the playing XI,” Ashwin said.
The second Test between India and Sri Lanka will be played in Colombo from Sunday onwards.
