Kuldeep Yadav and Rohit Sharma (Photo Source: BCCI)
Sanjay Manjrekar urged the Indian team management to bring Kuldeep Yadav into the playing XI for the second Test against Bangladesh, which begins on Friday, September 27, at Green Park, Kanpur.
Despite an impressive performance during the five-match Test series at home against England, where Kuldeep picked up 19 wickets in four games earlier this year, he was left out of India’s XI in Chennai for the first Bangladesh Test, as Rohit Sharma and co. fielded three pacers. But now, Manjrekar has batted for Kuldeep’s return to the side.
“I feel Kuldeep Yadav should not be dropped so easily. I believe that even if it was not a turner, India would have benefited from playing Kuldeep Yadav in Chennai because the seamers will get help for just one or one-and-a-half days on an Indian pitch,” Manjrekar said, speaking on the ESPNcricinfo YouTube channel.
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If Bumrah wants a rest, give him: Sanjay Manjrekar
Manjrekar suggested the idea of allowing Jasprit Bumrah to rest if he wants to and get Kuldeep in the side in place of him. With India scheduled to play three Tests against New Zealand and five versus Australia in the coming months, the idea of giving India’s ace pacer a breather and keeping him fresh could be a good one.
“If Bumrah wants a rest, give him. Try and get Kuldeep Yadav back,” said Manjrekar, speaking on the changes he would make ahead of the second Test.
“Even if it’s a green top and the sun is out, they should keep in mind that the green top will be just for the first few hours, and Siraj and Bumrah are enough for that. When you have three proven spinners, you should play all of them,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
India won the first Test comprehensively by 280 runs. They will look to emerge victorious in the second Test to consolidate their grip on the top spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.