Kuldeep Yadav's Absence From India Playing XI For 2nd Test Vs England Leaves Sourav Ganguly Puzzled
Photo : AP
India are currently taking on England in the second Test of the five-match series at the iconic Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. They are coming into this game on the back of a defeat in the first match of the series by five wickets. Hence, they would need to win this match to level the series 1-1. In a desperate attempt to win, India made three changes to their playing XI, bringing in Washington Sundar, Akash Deep and Nitish Reddy in place of Sai Sudharsan, Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur. Legendary India captain Sourav Ganguly has now expressed his displeasure at this playing XI, especially the absence of Kuldeep Yadav.
India are playing with two spinners in the playing XI- Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar- thus going into the second Test with a completely different strategy. However, in an interaction on the Sony Sports Network during Tea on Day 1, Sourav Ganguly suggested that India were not playing their two best spinners in the playing XI. He hinted his slight displeasure at the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav from the lineup.
"I am not sure whether India are playing their two best spinners. England have fielded first, I am surprised with that. I think this is India's best possible chance at the moment. Put runs on the board and hopefully it works out," Ganguly said.
FOLLOW: India Vs England 2nd Test Live Score
Sunil Gavaskar Also Questions Kuldeep Yadav Exclusion
In an interaction with Sony Sports Network, legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar said that he was baffled that Kuldeep Yadav was not picked given there is some turn in the pitch.
"I'm a little baffled that Kuldeep wasn't picked, because on a pitch like this, where everybody says there's a little more turn," Gavaskar said.
Sunil Gavaskar also said that India addressed the batting by adding depth, but what they should have addressed was the bowling which failed to take wickets in the first Test.
"If your top-order batters are not giving you the runs you expect, then Washington at seven or Nitish Reddy at eight won't necessarily fix that, because those weren't the batters who failed you in the first Test. You scored 830 runs. You didn't score 380 in two innings — it was 830-plus. That's a lot of runs. So, where you needed strengthening was in the wicket-taking department, not so much in the batting," the India legend added.
