Ravi Shastri said that if he were Team India's head coach, Kuldeep Yadav would have been in the playing XI at some point during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
However, Shastri defended the Indian cricket team’s decision to pick Akshar Patel ahead of Kuldeep for the ongoing Test series against Australia, saying the all-rounder’s batting makes him the first choice third spinner in the Test side, and it was with his batting that the hosts could retain the trophy.
Notably, Akshar scored 84 in the first innings of the Nagpur Test and 74 in the first innings of the Delhi Test to help Team India retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the third time in a row. However, the spinner has so far only managed to take 2 wickets in the home Test series.
“Ravi Bhai, would you have gone with Kuldeep Yadav,” asked Dinesh Karthik on-air for Star Sports. To which Ravi Shastri responded by saying: “Very early. But if it wouldn’t have been for Axar’s batting, this series would’ve looked a lot different. India wanted strength in their batting and they got it. Had it not been for his innings in Delhi, India wouldn’t have been able to be 2-0. And his innings in Kanpur.”
Shastri signed off by saying on Akshar’s bowling, “You couldn’t have used him previously (in the series). Because the ball was turning. Then Ashwin and Jadeja become your primary bowlers. But here, you need him. And he’s done the containing job well.”
(With The Indian Express Inputs)
