Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin gave his honest take on Kuldeep Yadav’s lack of consistent opportunities in India’s red-ball setup. The wrist-spinner missed the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo after an underwhelming outing in the series opener. The BCCI, however, stated that Kuldeep was unavailable for selection in Colombo as he had not fully recovered from a viral illness. His absence has once again raised questions over his place in India’s Test plans.
Kuldeep picked up just one wicket from 25 overs across two innings in the first Test, putting him under scrutiny. In contrast, fellow spinners Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja made a bigger impact, combining for 14 wickets in the match and strengthening the case for their continued presence in the playing XI.
Ashwin sympathised with Kuldeep over his limited opportunities in the Test side, arguing that the wrist-spinner’s confidence could be at an all-time low. He also questioned why Kuldeep was not given a longer spell, especially with Sri Lanka’s lower-order batting alongside Dinusha in the Galle Test.
“Many people are supporting Kuldeep Yadav but many are also against saying what did he do in the last match? It is very difficult to understand. From a player’s perspective, his confidence is at the lowest at this point. If you go underground and search also you will not find it. From 60th to 80th over, Jadeja bowls a lot. Why does he bowl a lot there? It is difficult to score runs. That is what they say, but it is also difficult to operate for a spinner. Even an extra spell is not extended and it is so unlucky. With tailenders batting with Dinusha, if Kuldeep was there with his googly and leg break, there would have been some X factor. What wrong has he done? Why is he not getting picked? I really feel sorry for him,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Kuldeep made his Test debut in 2017 but has played only 19 Tests for India, in which he has claimed 80 wickets.
“India could have backed Kuldeep Yadav”
Ashwin felt India should have backed Kuldeep after winning the first Test, arguing that the spinner’s performance in the series opener should not have influenced the decision for the Colombo Test. He questioned the logic behind leaving him out when the series was still to be played.
“They will make him play the next Test (next series) now. But two mistakes does not make one right. The first Test had nothing to do with the second. You had already won the first Test so you could have backed him. I am just not able to accept it,” he said.