The second Test between Bangladesh and India got underway at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka on December 22. India leads the series 1-0 thanks to the 188-run victory in the first Test in Chattogram.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and chose to bat first and made two changes with Mominul Haque coming in for Yasir Ali and Taskin Ahmed replacing Ebadot Hossain.
On the other hand, KL Rahul revealed a shocking decision that the Player of the Match from the first Test win Chattogram, Kuldeep Yadav had been dropped to bring in a fast bowler in Jaydev Unadkat, who is playing his first Test after 12 years and a gap of 118 Tests.
It was a stunning decision by the Indian camp to leave out Kuldeep Yadav on a pitch where turn is expected from the third day onwards. Even India legend Sunil Gavaskar was speechless and said that if any spinner had to be dropped from the XI, then one of R Ashwin or Akshar Patel should have been the one.
Playing Test cricket for India after 22 long months, Kuldeep Yadav delivered an amazing all-round performance at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. He took a 5-wicket haul (5/40) in the first innings and a 3-wicket haul (3/73) in the second innings.
He also made 40 runs in the first innings and added a brilliant 87-run partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin, helping India go past the 400-run mark.
Not only Gavaskar, but multiple members of the cricketing fraternity showed their surprise on Twitter at the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav from the Indian XI from the second Test.
Here are some tweets:
