Opinion: Bhuvneshwar Kumar would have been a better choice than Umesh Yadav
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is nicely poised as India leads the four-match series 2-1. Virat Kohli & Co. will definitely go in with an attitude to make it 3-1 in India's favor as suggested by the Indian skipper's words in the press conference.
Indian team management has announced a 13-man squad out of which 11 will be picked to face Australia in the all-important New Year Test at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Ishant Sharma's absence has paved the way for the inclusion of Umesh Yadav in the squad. However, there is a different opinion where many believe that Bhuvneshwar Kumar should have been the one to make it into the squad instead of Umesh Yadav.
Let us have a look at the following reasons in favor of Bhuvneshwar Kumar's inclusion compared to Umesh Yadav:
#1 Level of Consistency
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is more consistent in line and length as compared to Umesh Yadav. He can swing the new ball in the air as well as off the pitch. His seam presentation is top notch and with an added ability of hitting the deck hard at close to 140kmph, he would have been a handful in the Australian conditions.
#2 Ability to keep one end tight
Bhuvneshwar has the ability to bowl long spells and keep the run flow in check. Kumar can keep one end tight while Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami can attack from the other end, which is a vital ability in test cricket.
Yadav tends to lose his line and length as spells become longer, giving away loose deliveries and some easy runs. It is quite evident from the career economy rates of the two bowlers, where Bhuvi has given away runs at 2.95 runs per over compared to Yadav who has gone for 3.58 runs per over.
#3 Adds depth in batting
Bhuvneshwar Kumar adds depth to the batting line up. He is more than handy with the bat with an average of 22.08 which includes 3 half-centuries. Considering Indian tail-enders' difficulties with the bat throughout 2018, Bhuvneshwar Kumar would have been an ideal choice.
Yadav, on the other hand, has a batting average of 10.88 with his highest score being 30 runs.