Former batter Cheteshwar Pujara was critical of India's handling of Kuldeep Yadav on Day 4 of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium.
Pujara pointed out that the wrist-spinner was introduced too late with an aging ball instead of being trusted with a newer ball when the pitch offered more grip.
During India's bowling effort in the second innings, veteran Ravindra Jadeja and rookie spinner Manav Suthar were given extended spells, while Kuldeep was underbowled.
Pujara felt the team management needed to show higher confidence in Kuldeep's match-winning capabilities rather than holding him back after utilizing the finger spinners.
"Kuldeep Yadav could have bowled more number of overs. You need to show a little more faith in his ability. He is a match-winner. Yes, you have Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar, but you need to show a little more faith in Kuldeep. Give him an over when the ball is new. He came in when the ball was a little old. When the ball is new, we have seen there is a bit more grip from the pitch," Pujara said during a discussion on Cricinfo.
In three overs, Kuldeep conceded eight runs without picking up a wicket on Day 4. On the other hand, Suthar and Jadeja recorded figures of 2-30 in 11 overs and 0-16 in six overs respectively.
Pujara highlighted that Kuldeep Yadav thrives when he feels trusted by the captain and coaching staff.
"There is not enough confidence when it comes to Kuldeep's bowling. I don't know what is the reason. I am sure there might be some team strategy. I am not trying to take any credit away from Jadeja and Suthar. But, when you look at all three bowlers, one guy stands out for me and that is Kuldeep. When you give him that [confidence], his body language and performance changes a lot," he remarked.
In the first innings at Galle, Kuldeep was criticized for his expensive spell. On a pitch where Suthar (4-76) and Jadeja (3-57) shared seven wickets between them, the left-arm wrist-spinner returned with the figures of 1/65 in his 14 overs, leaking runs at an economy rate of 4.64.
Coming to the match, Sri Lanka were 84/4 in their second innings at stumps on Day 4, chasing a target of 372 runs. The hosts require 288 more runs to win on the final day, with India needing six wickets to secure victory.
