Ashwin Believes Team is Missing Opportunity by Not Including Kuldeep

MANCHESTER: Ravichandran Ashwin, the former Indian spinner, voiced his disapproval on Thursday regarding the Indian team’s choice to exclude Kuldeep Yadav from the ongoing Test series against England.

During his discussion on his YouTube channel following the second day of the fourth Test in Manchester, Ashwin conveyed his bewilderment at the decision, especially considering India’s less than impressive bowling performance.

“I would have been very surprised if someone had informed me that Kuldeep Yadav wouldn’t participate in any of the first four Tests. It’s astonishing,” Ashwin stated.

Ashwin felt that the squad was losing out on a chance to bolster their bowling lineup by not selecting Kuldeep, a specialist spin bowler, and instead depending on additional batting strength.

“You might score an additional 20-30 runs from your No. 8 batsman, but the match’s dynamics shift if that player can secure 2-3 wickets,” Ashwin commented.

“Once Nitish Kumar Reddy was unable to play at No. 6, including Kuldeep was an obvious decision. Fifteen days of test cricket have passed, the pace bowlers are getting fatigued, Siraj appeared tired, and despite managing Bumrah’s workload, it’s still challenging.”

Ashwin emphasized that securing Test match victories hinges on capturing 20 wickets, rather than relying on runs from the tailenders.

“The days when 20-30 extra runs made a significant difference in England are over. That advantage has disappeared,” he concluded.

It is noteworthy that India implemented several changes to their playing XI for the fourth Test. Anshul Kamboj, making his debut, took the place of the injured Akash Deep, while Shardul Thakur replaced Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was sidelined due to a knee injury.