India head coach Rahul Dravid and captain KL Rahul were blasted on social media following their decision to exclude spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the side's starting line-up for the third Test against Bangladesh on Thursday.
It is pertinent to note that Kuldeep Yadav was the Man of the Match in the previous Test, having accomplished a five-wicket haul in the first essay before sending three more Bangladesh batters back to the pavilion in the next innings. Moreover, Kuldeep Yadav contributed with the bat as well, scoring a vital 40 runs in India's first innings.
In the second Test, Kuldeep Yadav made way for Jaydev Unadkat, who returned to the Indian cricket team after a gap of 12 years.
India skipper KL Rahul confirmed the news at the toss, where Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, chose to bat.
The decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav, however, didn't go well with the fans who hit out at KL Rahul and Rahul Dravid for the move.
Make no mistake… Not selecting Kuldeep Yadav, who scored valuable 40 runs and 8 wickets in the first Test match is the most bizarre selection 🙏#KuldeepYadav pic.twitter.com/mfxBt38Q2Y
— Akshara (@Akshacriccrazy) December 22, 2022
What's with the obsession with bowlers-who-should-bat in the playing XI? It is not a talent issue. The right preparation and a distinct vision are what are lacking. Rahul Dravid appears to be without a strategy. His player management is abysmal. #kuldeepyadav #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/2RVpI0Ctwp
— Gaurav Divekar (@GauravDivekar14) December 22, 2022
KL Rahul biggest fraud in name of cricketing talent as need to explain why Kuldeep Yadav the player of the match in 1st test dropped in 2nd test.
Rohit Sharma & Rahul Dravid Philosophy of choosing near & dear ones destroyed sports spirit in team India#INDvBAN #INDvsBangladesh pic.twitter.com/WFFyIHWwPH
— Pankaj Kumar Gupta (@LotusIncredible) December 22, 2022
Rahul Dravid is repeating the same mistakes of 2007 , spoiling careers of good players ,then was @IrfanPathan now it's @imkuldeep18 ,why jaidev unadkat was selected ahead of kuldeep yadav who has taken 8 wickets in previous game , buffoonery at its best pic.twitter.com/JOveJvg9Qe
— birdsqsp congressi (@Birdsqsp1) December 22, 2022
If at all You have to bench a Spinner
In the 2nd Test it's out of Sorts Ashwin not Kuldeep Yadav KL Rahul
Too doesn't deserve a Place in Playing XI it seems Rahul Dravid is seriously out of his mind like in this add#INDvBAN#KLRahul#INDvsBAN#RahulDravid#INDvsBangladesh pic.twitter.com/7N8sAdn4Xa— MTvalluvan (@MTvalluvan) December 22, 2022
Kuldeep yadav is dropped 😱. Rahul Dravid is genius. This is completely coach's call because Kl Rahul don't have audacity to do this. Rahul Dravid making mockery of Kuldeep yadav. Don't know how much assist fast bowlers do get from this pich in 2nd innings.#KLRahul #INDvsBAN
— Abhishek Singh (@imabhi811) December 22, 2022
Even the 1983 World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar panned KL Rahul and Rahul Dravid, terming the decision as “unbelievable”.
“Dropping a Man of the Match, that is unbelievable. That’s the only word I can use and it’s a gentle word. I would like to use quite stronger words, but it’s unbelievable that you left out a man of the match, who got eight out of the 20 wickets,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.
“You have got two other spinners. So surely, one of the other spinners could have been dropped. But this guy, who took eight wickets should have played today with due respect to what the pitch looks like,” the legendary India batter added.
The move was heavily criticized by former India pacer Dodda Ganesh who dubbed the decision as “shocking” and “ridiculous at the same time.
“Why does this happen so often to Kuldeep Yadav? You can't be doing this to him again and again. Please some one put an arm around his shoulder and tell him not to lose heart. Yes. It's tough being Kuldeep Yadav. Spare a thought for him,” Dodda Ganesh said on Twitter.
“Also the way the Bangladeshis struggled to pick him in the last Test makes this decision to leave him out today even more senseless and defies cricketing logic. You want your match-winner to warm the benches?” Dodda Ganesh questioned.
“I guess the think tank needs to be a bit more considerate while dealing with the youngsters who've done well; and tinker the team combo accordingly. Last time they dropped Karun (Nair) after his 303 not out to play an extra seamer at Hyderabad. And now this, with Kuldeep Yadav. Shocking. Ridiculous,” he noted.
On the other hand, former India women's team captain Anjum Chopra dubbed the decision of excluding Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI as “strange”.
“Man of the match in India's last Test victory just 3 days ago, Kuldeep Yadav makes way for Jaydev Unadkat as a third seamer for India. Strange but a tactical change,” Anjum Chopra posted on the microblogging platform.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav's India teammate Umesh Yadav defended the team management's decision, claiming that the move to drop the wrist spinner was taken after taking into account the side's requirements.
“It's part of your journey. It happened to me also. Sometimes you are out of the team because of performance and sometimes it's a management's call. You have to go with the team's requirements,” Umesh Yadav told reporters in Dhaka after the close of play on Day 1.
“It's good for him (Kuldeep) that he came back and performed well (in the first Test in Chattogram),” Umesh Yadav stressed.
The Indian team management's decision to drop the Chinaman spinner came after former players Ajay Jadeja and Mohammad Kaif had predicted that he could soon find himself warming the bench despite his match-winning performance in Chattogram.
“He was hurt when he was with KKR. He was emotional but made a brilliant comeback. The run of couple of years where he wasn't getting a place in the Test team, his white-ball performance wasn't up to the mark and he never really got any support. This Man of the Match trophy will hold a great place in his career now. Because India will still be looking at Ashwin and Jadeja. His place is still not certain in the Indian team. Against Australia if India play two spinners. Jadeja and Ashwin will still be the choices. He is still the third spinner so the challenge is still there. What he needs to do is to make the most of the chances he gets. That five-wicket haul in the first innings on this pitch was huge. It showed class,” Mohammad Kaif had said after watching Kuldeep Yadav's sensational bowling performance in the first Test.
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