Kuldeep managed only one scalp across two innings in Galle, bowling a total of 25 overs.
India and Sri Lanka are all set to square off in the second Test match at SSC, Colombo from Sunday (August 23). The visitors are leading the series 1-0 after winning the opening Test in Galle by 195 runs.
On the eve of the second Test, India head coach Gautam Gambhir attended a press conference, where he backed Kuldeep Yadav, urging the left-arm wrist-spinner to focus on bowling high-quality spells instead of hunting desperately for wickets.
However, Gambhir stopped short of guaranteeing Kuldeep a place in the playing XI amid ongoing discussions about potentially handing Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain his debut cap.
Kuldeep delivered 25 overs across the two innings in Galle and managed to take only one wicket. Addressing his limited utilization in the series opener, Gambhir clarified that bowling rotations are tactical, situational decisions left entirely to captain Shubman Gill while also citing that playing five proper bowlers means someone will bowl less.
“Ultimately, we know how good a bowler Kuldeep is," Gambhir told reporters. “And more importantly, sometimes, it’s up to the captain as well (team selection). It’s not about under-bowling. It’s about getting the result. For me, I think that is more important. When you play five proper bowlers, someone will eventually get under-bowled. But it’s not about someone not delivering and getting under-bowled. It’s the captain or the management’s decision as to who will be most effective in that particular condition."
“For a very long period of time, we get Kuldeep doing the right things. We know how successful and how effective he can be in a good condition," Gambhir explained.
However, the coach hinted that India will stick to their five-bowler policy which ensures the team has enough firepower to take 20 wickets, especially on pitches that favor batsmen.
“If it’s a very flat wicket, the bowlers will have to work hard, maybe a lot of extra hard work, because, as I said, you’ll have to take 20 wickets. If it’s a flat wicket, ultimately, we have only one solution. We have five proper bowlers."
Gambhir also stressed that fielding five bowlers helps the skipper rotate the bowlers more efficiently during a match.
“So, when you have five proper bowlers, you can better rotate your bowlers. We saw this in the last Test match as well. Even if Kuldeep didn’t bowl a lot, we had five proper bowlers, who can get you a wicket at any stage.
“But, if you don’t have five proper bowlers, then, you won’t be able to rotate your seniors as well as your seniors will have to come back early. You want them to come and create an impact. So, I always say that, the team that has five proper bowlers, it’s not a luxury, always has a better chance of winning the Test match," he remarked.