Gautam Gambhir Sent "No-Brainer" Message Over Benched Star's Selection For 2nd Test vs England
As the Indian cricket team looks to bounce back after losing the opening Test against England, multiple changes are expected to be made in the team. While Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss out on a spot in the playing XI, over workload management, one or two more players could be dropped to the bench as the team management looks to strengthen the side for the second match of the series at Edgbaston. Former Australia captain Michael Clarke wants wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to be included in the team, calling the selection an 'absolute no-brainer'. His message to the team management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, is loud and clear.
Indian bowlers didn't quite enjoy a fruitful outing at Leeds in the series opener, with the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna struggling for large parts of the game. Barring Bumrah, no bowler seemed in control of what he wanted to do in the conditions.
Though Clarke doesn't want to be hard on Indian bowlers, he does want Kuldeep to be included in the XI, if India are to take 20 wickets in the second Test.
"Bowling-wise, I do not want to be hard on any individual, but I think they've got to play Kuldeep Yadav. I think it is an absolute no-brainer. I think he's a wicket-taker and would have offered a lot more than what he saw the attack do in this Test," Clarke said on the Beyond23 Podcast.
"India have done this for a while. They care so much about extra batting or stacking the batting deep, and they are willing to risk picking the number one spinner to do that. I think to win in England, you've got to look to pick 20 wickets," Clarke added.
Earlier, former England star Nick Knight also batted for Kuldeep's selection in the Indian team.
"I would be looking for every opportunity to play Kuldeep Yadav. England will find it hard against Kuldeep. If Kuldeep is on top of his game, that could be a defining moment in the series, or moments, because England likes to be aggressive. When you want to be aggressive, you have to be certain about which way the ball is turning. If there is a little bit of assistance from the pitch, Kuldeep will be able to bowl all his varieties," he said.
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