England vs India 2018: 4 reasons why it is too early for Kuldeep Yadav to be picked
There has been much talk about the number of spinners to be included in the playing XI of the Indian team for the ongoing Test series against England.
The bowling combination is always an issue when India goes overseas. With the number of injuries to the fast bowlers, the remaining automatically get themselves selected without much fuss.
After the loss in the first Test, the selection of the bowling attack is once again under the scanner. With Kuldeep causing trouble to the English batting line up in the limited overs leg, there has been vocal support to include him in the playing XI for the second Test. Even the legendary Sachin Tendulkar tweeted that he is ready to play cricket at the Test level.
Is it really the need of the hour though? What would it do to the already established spinners in the team? Is India trying to do too much in pursuit of glory abroad and establish itself as the No. 1 Test side in the world?
Here are 5 drawbacks for picking Kuldeep in the playing XI right now:
1. Injustice to Ashwin and Jadeja
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been the go-to spinners in the whites for a number of years for now, and have consistently been in the ICC top 10 rankings for the bowlers. Although their past performances overseas haven't been encouraging, it was Jadeja's all-round contribution which brought the Indian team victory at Lord's in 2014.
Also, if India intends to go with one spinner, Ashwin is the primary candidate according to the recent trends. He showcased the team's belief in him through his outstanding performance in the first Test of the series.
Excluding either of them for the sake of an inexperienced player at the international Test level would not be unjustified. They have been already overlooked in the limited overs format with the team preferring to go with the wrist spinners, and this would be adding insult to injury.