Ahead of the two-Test series between Sri Lanka and India, former India keeper-batter Deep Dasgupta has taken a shot at Indian team management, including coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill, for ignoring left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in recent games.
His words came after Kuldeep Yadav warmed the bench in the recently concluded 3-match ODI series against England. India lost the series 1-2, and the Indian team management was slammed for their selection policies.
Kuldeep Yadav, despite making his Test debut in 2017, has played only 18 matches, taking 79 scalps. His last Test came against Afghanistan recently. He has been named in the India squad for the Sri Lanka Tests and will compete for a spot in the XI with Ravindra Jadeja, Saransh Jain, and Manav Suthar.
Deep Dasgupta, a former wicketkeeper for India, didn't hold back when criticizing the team management for mistreating Kuldeep. Dasgupta urges the management to avoid making the same mistakes again and wants the Chinaman spinner to be in the starting lineup for the forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
"Kuldeep has to be there. I am talking about four spinners, and you will definitely play with three spinners. So, I agree. Yes, I saw him in England, and a lot of people saw him too. Unfortunately, the folks who make a team didn't see him, and that's a different issue,” Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.
Dasgupta advised India to put less emphasis on the pressing need to get to the WTC final. With a points percentage of 48.15, India is now ranked fifth in the WTC rankings.
"I think it is a good squad. According to the conditions, seamers are fewer and spinners are more. I think there might be an opportunity where you can play with four spinners.
This can also happen and has happened in the past in Tests in Sri Lanka. So, having that extra spinner in the squad was important. I think it was on expected lines, to be fair. Ideally, Washi (Washington Sundar) would have been there as the tour's first-choice spinner. But, due to injury, he is not there, and I think it is on expected lines. I can't think of a name that should have been there and is not there in the squad," he added.
India will play Sri Lanka in two Tests, with the first game starting on August 15 in Galle and the second game starting on August 23 at SSC, Colombo.
(IANS inputs)
