"If you had a bowler named Kuldeep Yadav in your squad, you could have played him on such pitches" - Aakash Chopra on 2nd IND-WI Test
Aakash Chopra feels Kuldeep Yadav would have been a handy bowler for India in the ongoing second Test against the West Indies.
Rohit Sharma and Co. posted a 438-run total after being asked to bat first at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain in Trinidad. The hosts ended a rain-truncated Day 3 (Saturday, July 22) on 229/5, with a first-innings deficit of 209 and needing 10 more runs to avert the follow-on.
While reflecting on the third day's play in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised the Indian bowlers for their wholehearted efforts. However, the former Indian opener added that Axar Patel should have played the game and Kuldeep could have been useful had he been in the squad, explaining:
"Mukesh Kumar got his first wicket, which was very good because the first wicket is important. You got disciplined bowling from Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj - everyone. One thing was definitely there that this was not the pitch where you should have probably played three fast bowlers.
"India should have played Axar Patel here and if you had a bowler named Kuldeep Yadav in your squad, you could have played him on such pitches. When the pitch is more dead, a wrist-spinner can do a better job than a finger-spinner."
Axar, who is the third spinner in India's Test squad, has been ignored for both games against the Windies. Kuldeep was selected only for the white-ball leg of the tour despite picking up a five-wicket haul in the last Test he played against Bangladesh.
"Only one team is trying to win, the other team is trying to play" - Aakash Chopra
![The Indian bowlers picked up four wickets in the 67 overs they bowled on Day 3. [P/C: Twitter]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/07/59280-16900821834621-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra highlighted that the West Indies batters' defensive approach has made the game a mundane affair, stating:
"You cannot ensure a contest. What we saw in Trinidad is that only one team is trying to win, the other team is trying to play, that they will continue playing and the result be damned. So that is a problem for sure."
While lamenting the lack of bounce from the pitch, the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that India will have to force the pace to get a result, saying:
"In such a case, if there is context but no contest, you need bounce from the pitch. If there is bounce and it is a slightly bowling-friendly pitch, you can create chances and actually force the issue. Two days' play is still left and India will have to do all the running."
Chopra added that the visitors will have to score quick runs in their second essay as they might need 100-odd overs to bowl out the West Indies in the fourth innings. He concluded by observing that the third day's play was not a great advertisement for Test cricket.