Kuldeep Yadav Was Considered For Selection In 4th Test. Then, This Happened

Kuldeep Yadav's absence from the Indian team for the 4th consecutive match on the tour of England left many baffled. With players like Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy injured, the sentiment in the Indian cricketing spectrum was that Kuldeep would get the nod for the Manchester Test. However, the team management eventually went with Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj as the additions in the bowling unit, once again showing inclination towards bowlers who can also bat.

A report in the Times of India has claimed that Kuldeep was backed for selection by a part of the Indian team management for the Manchester but eventually a 'safety first' approach was adopted. Considering India are already 1-2 down in the series after three matches, the decision left many ex-cricketers and pundits stunned.

"A part of the management contemplated playing him in the XI, but eventually a safety-first approach prevailed as Kuldeep's batting went against him," the TOI report read.

The report further claimed that Kuldeep would even turn up at optional sessions and let it rip against the Indian batters. But, ahead of the Manchester Test, his enthusiasm dipped, as selection looked more an more unlikely.

After seeing India's batting collapses in the first couple of Tests, the management went ahead with bowlers who can bat. In this race, Kuldeep lost the race to the likes of Shardul and Kamboj.

"I think it's finding when he comes in, how we can find balance and how we can get that batting line-up to be a little bit longer and stronger," India's bowling coach Morkel said on selection matters. "We've seen in the past that we've lost wickets in clumps. Kuldeep is world-class, and he's bowling really well at the moment, so we're trying our best to find ways for him to get in. But unfortunately, with that, just to balance with batting throws it out a little bit."

"There's always an option of going in with quicks and picking your six best bat," Morkel added. "All those discussions we have had or we do discuss. But I think so far in this match, the last two Test matches, the guys who have played have done a good job in terms of spin bowling. We were ever so close to winning that Test match at Lord's. We had a great Test match at Edgbaston. So I think so far we've played good cricket, good cricket bar yesterday's bowling performance."

Though Kamboj was brought in to shoulder the load being carried by India's marquee pacer Jasprit Bumrah, the former's bowling was so lacklustre that Bumrah ended up bowling nearly twice as many overs as Kamboj in the first innings of the Manchester Test.

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