"The disrespect to Kuldeep Yadav" - Social media reacts as Kanpur spinner is benched for IND vs BAN 2024 2nd Test
Team India's left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav didn't find a place in the playing XI for the ongoing second and final Test of their home series against Bangladesh. The match kicked off on Friday, September 27 at Green Park in Kanpur.
Kuldeep didn't feature in the Test series opener in Chennai as well, with India opting to go with three fast bowlers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep - along with two spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
The hosts went with an unchanged lineup for the second Test. With Kuldeep benched on his home ground, many fans and experts took to social media to react to the crafty spinner's absence.
Here are some of the top reactions:
A few fans felt Kuldeep Yadav was being mistreated and his peak years were getting wasted.
"Kuldeep yadav should feel he's hard done by." wrote a fan
"The disrespect to Kuldeep Yadav. Left-arm spinners union needs to revolt!" commented another
"He deserves better.. He is in his prime and should be playing all the matches.. I know it's hard to fit in this combination but still he should play." chimed in yet another
Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut in 2017 against Australia. The 29-year-old has been on a roll for the last couple of years. He has an impressive Test record, with 53 wickets from 22 innings including four five-wicket hauls.
It is worth mentioning that Kuldeep's last Test appearance came against England in Dharamsala earlier this year. He was the Player of the Mach in the game, bagging seven wickets across two innings.
The conditions in Kanpur played a big role in Kuldeep Yadav's absence from the playing XI for IND vs BAN 2024 2nd Test
Team India won the toss and chose to field first in the Kanpur Test. Speaking at the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma stated that the 'softness' of the pitch played a part in the decision.
Suggesting that the wicket was different from a typical Kanpur wicket, Rohit said:
"We will bowl first, the conditions play a part and there is a little softness in the pitch. We want to make early inroads and have the bowlers to go at the batters. A little different than the usual Kanpur pitch; gives the bowlers something and let's see what happens."
Day 1 was called off early due to rain in the city of Uttar Pradesh. Bangladesh finished at 107 for three. Akash Deep removed both openers while Ravichandran Ashwin bagged rival skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto.