Ravichandran Ashwin expressed concern about the approach taken toward Kuldeep Yadav, a 31-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner who has played only 19 Tests in his career since making his debut more than nine years ago.
India won the first Test against Sri Lanka by 165 runs at Galle International Stadium, and the second Test is set to begin on August 23 at the Sinhalese Sports Club. The triumph came despite a significant performance difference among the bowling unit, with different spinners given significantly different opportunities during the match.
Why did Kuldeep Yadav get limited bowling opportunities?
Ashwin addressed the technical reasons for the differential use of spinners in the match. Manav Suthar got 10 wickets in only his second Test debut, while Ravindra Jadeja claimed four. In comparison, Kuldeep Yadav took one wicket in 25 overs and conceded 103 runs.
Captain’s priorities and Kuldeep Yadav confidence
Ashwin mentioned a specific occasion throughout the game that demonstrated Kuldeep’s lack of support. When KL Rahul came out after lunch, he started with Kuldeep Yadav, but this choice was made after Shubman had left the pitch. Ashwin perceived this sequence to reflect the captain’s priorities.
Ashwin’s final assessment focused on what he perceived as a basic lack of faith in Kuldeep from team management. The veteran off-spinner linked the lack of backing to the bigger issue of Test selection.
Kuldeep was likely to be benched following the Galle Test, with Saransh Jain largely expected to make his debut if that choice was made. However, former India players Venkatesh Prasad and Cheteshwar Pujara pushed the team’s management to keep Kuldeep Yadav for the Colombo Test.
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