Indian chinaman Kuldeep Yadav might have to face yet another setback in the second Test in Chennai. With rumours flying around that Shabaz Nadeem might be benched for the next game, Axar Patel might get a nod for debut ahead of the left-arm wrist spinner. Yadav despite picking up a 5-wicket haul in his last Test, back in 2019 might get snubbed once again for a better combination. It needs to be noted that Axar Patel was originally slated to make his debut in the first Test in Chennai but was ruled out due to injury.
“Axar had a minor niggle in the knee and has already started batting in the nets. He is expected to start bowling in the next couple of days,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying to PTI.
“He was always the first choice for the opening Test, but a lot will now depend on skipper Virat Kohli, bowling coach Bharat Arun and Ravi Shastri on who finally makes the cut,” the source added, indicating that as and when Nadeem is replaced, the chances of Axar playing his first Test would be more than Kuldeep getting a callback.
In First-Class cricket Axar has 134 wickets in 39 games at a good enough average of 27.38. At the same time, he is handy with the bat as well having scored 1665 runs at an average of 35.42 with 13 fifties and one hundred to his credit.
Nadeem picked up only four wickets in the first Test and bowled nine no balls to wreck his chances of playing another game. The second Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, same venue as the first one would start from 13th February.