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“Why Can't You Consider Kuldeep...”: Ashwin Expresses Frustration Over India's Selection Calls

Poulomi Chakraborty

Ashwin Questions Kuldeep's Snub (Source: @rushiii_12/x.com, @academy_dinda/x.com)Ashwin Questions Kuldeep's Snub (Source: @rushiii_12/x.com, @academy_dinda/x.com)

The Manchester Test is proving to be a major setback for India, with multiple injury blows. After Nitish Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, and Akash Deep were sidelined due to injury, Rishabh Pant’s injury has been added to the list.

As Team India has undergone some changes before the ongoing Test, Kuldeep Yadav is still waiting for a game. After Day 2, a visibly frustrated Ravichandran Ashwin spoke out, questioning the spinner’s continued exclusion from the playing XI.

Aswin Questions Kuldeep’s Continuous Exclusion

Trailing 1-2 in the Test series against England, Team India is battling both form and fitness. Amidst this, Kuldeep Yadav’s continuous exclusion has grabbed the limelight as the spinner is still waiting for his first game of the ongoing series. With injury setbacks hitting the squad, Shardul Thakur’s all-round skills earned him a spot, leaving Kuldeep sidelined and watching from the bench.

As Kuldeep Yadav faced yet another snub, Ravichandran Ashwin questioned this move. On his YouTube channel, he slammed the team management for sidelining a top-class spinner despite India’s solid batting depth.

“If you are only planning to give Shardul Thakur this many overs, and expect 20-30 runs from him. I love Shardul Thakur, I like him a lot, but if this is the usage point, why can't you consider Kuldeep Yadav? It is just blowing my head away,” he said.

“I know it seems against the grain because there are three spinners, but it is not that way, Jadeja is a specialist batter for you now. Washington Sundar is also batting well. When your bowlers can bat so well, why are you not bringing an attacking bowler?” he added.

After ending their first innings in 358 runs, Team India struggled while bowling in the first innings as the English openers anchored the innings from the beginning. Jack Crawley and Ben Duckett stitched a 166-run opening partnership until Ravindra Jadeja sent Crawley off in 84 runs. In the 39th over, Anshul Kamboj marked his first Test wicket after dismissing Duckett in 94 runs. With that domination, England ended day 2 on 225/2.