Kuldeep Yadav managed only one wicket for 103 runs in 25 overs in Galle Test.
After the first Test match against Sri Lanka, recently retired batter Ajinkya Rahane spoke about India's standout Kuldeep Yadav needing more confidence. This comes after Kuldeep Yadav managed just one wicket in the Test match in 25 overs across the two innings.
Kuldeep wasn't performing at his best and lacked the rhythm he is typically known for, and did not appear confident enough. In contrast, Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja were more lethal on a pitch that aided spinners.
Ajinkya Rahane stated that Kuldeep needed the team's support the most during this stage because he was underbowled and asked that he be given confidence.
"I want Kuldeep Yadav to be given more confidence. He needs the team to stand by him at this point. Whenever there are crucial situations, he has picked up wickets. Yes, he did not get to bowl a lot here. All these things happen in the game, and sometimes you don't get the rhythm. But I want to see Kuldeep being backed if the conditions are similar. He is a match-winning bowler. If the team backs him now, he will deliver," Rahane said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Ravindra Jadeja picked four wickets in the match, with three of them coming in the first innings. However, the star for India proved to be Manav Suthar, who picked four and six wickets, respectively, in the match. This was his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test matches.
Ajinkya Rahane commended Suthar's abilities and the adjustments he made to his bowling style during the match. The former Indian batsman thought he was having fun, but he also told him to concentrate on getting better.
"Manav deserved the chance because in the previous Test, he did very well. His bowling was amazing, and his confidence was seen. The thing I liked the most was the wicket he picked on the very first ball. It is important for you as a bowler to hit the right area on the very first ball. You need a lot of experience or a lot of confidence in your ability. That ball was unplayable.
There were subtle changes in his bowling speed in the first and second innings. This means he thinks about his bowling, and this is a big ability. You look to improve. The start has been brilliant for him. It will be important to enjoy this performance but also to see how he can improve,” Rahane stated.
Thanks to Suthar’s heroics with the ball and Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 and 44, India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test in Galle.
Any changes to India's starting lineup for the second Test in Colombo, according to Ajinkya Rahane, will depend on the circumstances.
He said that if it were a seaming wicket with any grass on it, there would be no chance of a change. He saw no room for reform if the circumstances were identical to those at Galle.
"It depends on the conditions. Generally, in Sri Lanka, you expect spin-friendly conditions. When we played many years ago at SSC, it was a seaming condition. So, you have to see if you want three spinners or three pacers. If there are seaming conditions and not a dry wicket, with some grass on it, then maybe there can be one change based on it. But otherwise, I don't see any changes for the next Test. I feel it will be the same team if the conditions are the same," Ajinkya Rahane said.
The second Test will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo and is scheduled to begin on Sunday, August 23.