"Have India just bluffed England?" - Fans on Twitter question hosts' playing XI for 3rd Test
India's selection choices for the 3rd Test against England have divided opinions on Twitter.
Coming off a huge victory in Chennai, Virat Kohli and co. made two changes to the playing XI. The first, Jasprit Bumrah's inclusion for Mohammed Siraj, was on expected lines considering the pace spearhead's importance in the pink-ball encounter.
However, Kuldeep Yadav, who made his Test comeback after two years in the last Test, has been dropped yet again to make way for all-rounder Washington Sundar. Yadav was the last to bowl in both innings of the 2nd Test and returned 2 wickets from just over 12 overs.
The decision has raised eyebrows because of two reasons.
Firstly, the pink ball is expected to favor seamers for longer periods than the spinners. The visitors, unlike India, have also gone with a three-pronged pace attack and only one specialist spinner.
Secondly, domestic Indian cricketers have regularly suggested that wrist-spinners are more challenging to read with the pink-ball compared to their orthodox counterparts.
India's choice could be attributed to the brownish tinge on the pitch. Many, including senior batsman Rohit Sharma, had also alluded earlier that the pitch might still favor spinners. A second school of thought suggests that the 36-all-out factor might have played in the minds of the Indians, cajoling them to extend their tail.
Both teams' polar selection choices and the unknown territory of Day-Night Test cricket have made this match even more riveting than it already was.
Many Twitter users questioned Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion, while others wanted India to go for Hardik Pandya as the all-rounder instead of Washington Sundar. The following are the best reactions.
Twitter reacts to India's playing XI changes for the 3rd Test
Virat Kohli's comments on India's playing XI changes
At the toss, skipper Virat Kohli explained the playing XI changes, pointing to the need of having depth in batting.
"Bumrah comes in for Siraj and Washington Sundar comes in for Kuldeep Yadav. We wanted to have a spinning option and Washi provides a lot with the bat as well. And having cushion with the bat helps especially in this situation when we bat second as the game could be evened out after the first innings," said Kohli.