Veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik shared his views on Team India’s shocking decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav for the ongoing second and final Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
While fans and many cricket fraternity slammed the Indian cricket team management for dropping Kuldeep from the playing XI for the second Test despite his exceptional performance in the first Test, Karthik feels it was the right call, as he rated R Ashwin and Akshar Patel higher than the leg-spinner.
Dinesh Karthik said during an interaction on Cricbuzz: “We have to look at the situation holistically. Ashwin is our number one spinner, number two is Axar because of the performances he has given with Jadeja not being around. That leaves Kuldeep being number three.”
He further explained, “Just one Test match won't get Kuldeep ahead of Akshar. Akshar has been doing well for quite some time now, he has actually been the leader of the spin bowling attack when Ashwin has had a tough day, Axar has backed him. If Jadeja is there he obviously slots in for number two but for the moment Axar is number 2.
And if they have decided to look at the wicket that there is going to be help for the medium pacers so lets go with three medium pacers and the axe had to fall on the spinner then they went for Kuldeep Yadav, which is understandable.”
Karthik further explained why Akshar was picked ahead of Kuldeep for the second Test against Bangladesh.
He said, “A - Axar has always been their premier spinner along with Ashwin. B - He can give something with the bat. I know a lot of you will get angry for saying this because he got a vital 40 in the first match, but I think Kuldeep will know that his time will come.”
He signed off by saying, “I feel this decision was a fair one considering how Axar has been bowling over a period of time. That is something we need to understand, we cannot quickly forget what Kuldeep has done and what Axar has done. But I'm sure this will make Kuldeep hungrier and he'll do well in the Australian series.”
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)
