Kuldeep Yadav and Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: BCCI)
India took on Bangladesh in the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on September 19. On a green deck, India went with two spinners and three pacers. The spinners, however, were Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. The star India spinner, Kuldeep Yadav missed a place in the playing XI and the development has not gone well with former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.
The management might have kept Ashwin over Kuldeep in the playing XI owing to his ability to bat down the order. He has done so in the past with five tons to his name. However, Manjrekar opined that it is ‘amazing’ how the left-arm spinner has to make way so easily for other spinners. It is worth noting that Kuldeep has picked 53 wickets in 12 Tests he has played.
“Find it amazing how easily India drops a Kuldeep Yadav,” Manjrekar wrote in his ‘X’ post.
Here’s Manjrekar’s latest post on ‘X’:
Find it amazing how easily India drops a Kuldeep Yadav.#INDvBAN
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) September 19, 2024
I would have bowled first as well: Rohit
Bangladesh won the toss in Chennai and opted to bowl first. The decision proved to be advantageous as Hasan Mahmud wreaked havoc and sent three key pillars of Indian batting line up to the pavilion. He claimed the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli as India were in the backseat at the end of the first session. However, Rohit had anticipated the causalities as he had quipped at the toss for conditions to be challenging.
Also Read: Stats: How have Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli performed in Tests against Bangladesh?
“I would have done that as well (bowl first). Little soft, pitch. It’s going to be challenging conditions. We have prepared well, so we should back our potential and play the way we know. Looking at the 10 Test matches, every match is important. But we want to focus on what lies in front of us. We came here a week back, we had a good prep leading up to this one. We feel confident. Three seamers and two spinners – Bumrah, Akash Deep, Siraj, Ashwin and Jadeja,” said Rohit.