Gautam Gambhir, Shubman Gill Given 1 Undroppable Player For India Vs Sri Lanka Tests

Gambhir, Gill have been suggested a player India must include for SL Tests [Source: AFP]

Kuldeep Yadav, India's left-arm chinaman bowler, who has been named in the India vs Sri Lanka Test squad for August, has been urged to be an automatic pick in the playing XI of the team. Kuldeep last played in the India vs Afghanistan ODI series, where he featured in just the second match and failed to take a wicket, conceding 42 runs in his 10-over spell. 

Despite India losing the second ODI against England, the Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill-led think tank made Kuldeep warm the bench at Lord's, where the Men in Blue fell short of a daunting target and conceded the series to the home team. 

Currently, Kuldeep Yadav is in England, playing the England One-Day Cup for Yorkshire. Now, after being named in the Test squad, Kuldeep has been backed by former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta to be included in the India playing XI for the Sri Lanka tour.

Kuldeep Yadav should be in India's playing XI vs Sri Lanka, reckons Deep Dasgupta

For the unaware, Kuldeep was called up for India's ODI tour of England, which the visitors lost 2-1. Although he was in England, he didn't feature in any of the three ODIs as the team opted for all-rounders like Axar Patel and Washington Sundar instead of relying on a specialist spinner. 

While Lord’s could have been a solid hunting ground for Kuldeep, the management decided to prefer an additional pace option after Washington Sundar was ruled out of the final ODI against England. 

When the Indian team management, spearheaded by Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill, excluded Kuldeep from the playing XI at Lord's, the move seemed a bit odd to many, including former cricketer-turned-commentator Deep Dasgupta. 

Now, after once again being named in the squad for the Sri Lanka tour, Dasgupta has urged that Kuldeep should feature in the Sri Lanka Tests without fail.

“Kuldeep Yadav has to be in the playing XI, has to be. I was expecting him to be in the playing XI for that third ODI against England at Lord’s. Not only me, but a lot of the others were expecting him to be seen. Unfortunately, those making the team did not see him, that is a different issue,” Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.

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How did Gautam Gambhir, Shubman Gill miss an opportunity with Kuldeep in England?

The Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill-led Indian think tank primarily played Axar Patel and Washington Sundar as the spin options during the England tour. 

While Axar Patel shone with the ball, picking up five wickets and finishing as India's highest wicket-taker in the series, Washington Sundar wasn’t fruitful enough. 

After bowling just four overs in the entire series, Sundar went wicketless while maintaining an economy rate of 3.25. Meanwhile, Patel's dominance, highlighted by his four-wicket haul and an average of 31.6, underlines how beneficial Kuldeep could have been had he featured in the playing XI. 

Although Gambhir and Gill preferred greater batting depth rather than focusing on specialist spin bowling, a left-arm chinaman could have caused significant problems for the England batting line-up on grounds like Birmingham and Lord’s. 

The missed opportunity to play a left-arm chinaman might have cost India the series. However, according to Deep Dasgupta, that should not be the case against Sri Lanka in the spin-friendly conditions of the Island Nation. 

What is Kuldeep Yadav’s track record against Sri Lanka?

In Tests, Kuldeep Yadav has played only one match in Sri Lanka, and across his two innings, he has picked up five wickets, with best figures of 4/40. He maintained an average of 19.2 and a strike rate of 36 while playing at Pallekele in August 2017, which remains his only Test appearance in Sri Lanka. 

Across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, Kuldeep has played 17 matches in Sri Lanka, bowling 139.1 overs and taking 28 wickets at an average of 19.82 and an economy rate of 3.98. 

These numbers underline how threatening Kuldeep Yadav could be in the upcoming Test series and why Deep Dasgupta is pushing for him to be one of the first names in India's playing XI.

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