Is this the end of the road for Kuldeep Yadav in Test matches?
When off-spinner Washington Sundar was picked ahead of left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the Gabba Test against Australia, question marks were raised over the latter’s utility to the team.
Kuldeep Yadav’s axing from the Test squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, as well as the series in England, begs the big question: is this the end of the road for Kuldeep Yadav in Test matches?
After making his debut against Australia in Dharamsala back in 2017, the 26-year-old left-arm spinner has only featured in seven Tests, the last of which was in the second Test against England in Chennai.
Picked as the third spinner, Kuldeep Yadav bowled only six overs in the first innings without claiming a wicket. He claimed two wickets during the end of the Test but only bowled 6.2 overs. India, again, went back to Sundar for the next two Tests, and the writing was pretty much on the wall for Kuldeep Yadav.
Three reasons why Kuldeep Yadav could find it difficult to make a Test comeback
Although seven Tests is too small a sample size to judge a player's performance, Kuldeep Yadav has been low on confidence as a spinner for the last couple of seasons. The same has been evident every time he has stepped out onto the field.
The zing and variations that saw him unsettle the best of batsmen when he was at the peak of his powers have clearly been missing. With Kuldeep Yadav dropped from the Test side, let's take a look at three reasons why it could be very difficult for him to make a comeback.
#1 Axar Patel’s grand Test entry
Although the pitches for the home series against England were tailor-made to suit spinners, Axar Patel exploited the conditions to the hilt. He claimed a record 27 wickets in three Tests at an average of 10.59, taking an impressive four five-wicket hauls.
Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin were so good, they did not leave Kuldeep Yadav with much scope to perform in the only Test he featured in during the series. And in the few overs that Kuldeep Yadav bowled, the left-arm wrist-spinner could not do enough to impress.
Conditions in England would, of course, be drastically different to those in India and might not suit Axar Patel’s style of bowling. However, following his sensational Test debut, the selectors were left with little choice but to pick him over Kuldeep Yadav for the England tour.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja has become irreplaceable
Till a few seasons ago, India would have mulled dropping all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to play a genuine spinner like Kuldeep Yadav. That is definitely not the case anymore. Over the last few years, Jadeja has impressively improved his game in all aspects of the game.
Jadeja is now a genuine match-winner with both bat and ball, not to forget his legendary fielding prowess. His match-winning skills were very much on display in the Test series in Australia. He chipped in with crucial contributions with the bat lower down the order and picked up some key wickets with his variations, not relying on the surface for help.
Kuldeep Yadav was part of the Test squad Down Under, but despite numerous injuries to key players, he did not get a look in. This was an indication of the lack of confidence the management had in Kuldeep Yadav, despite the fact that he had picked up a five-for the last time he played a Test in Australia.
#3 Washington Sundar’s batting prowess
This is one area where Kuldeep Yadav has a distinct disadvantage in comparison with the other spinners. Ashwin and Jadeja are proven performers with the bat, while Axar Patel, too, has decent batting ability. If India want to look for an additional spin option, Washington Sundar is their preferred choice.
Sundar, in fact, was handed a Test debut at the Gabba ahead of Kuldeep Yadav because of his superior batting abilities. The left-arm spinner is nowhere close to the above-mentioned bowlers when it comes to batting prowess. That could prove to be a major hindrance as he seeks to make a Test comeback.
With most Test team around the world producing good quality bowlers who can chip in with valuable contributions with the willow, India seem to be following suit as well.
Given the current circumstances, Kuldeep Yadav will have to come up with some extraordinary performances to reclaim his spot in the Indian Test squad, something that doesn't look likely to happen any time soon.