In the second Test of the ongoing England series, India took a gamble by playing two spinners in R. Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav. The move backfired, as conditions heavily favoured seam bowling, resulting in a thumping innings victory for England.
Kuldeep, who conceded 44 runs and went wicket-less in nine overs, was not picked for the next Test. The chinaman bowler was then dropped from the squad for the final two Tests.
Kuldeep explained that it is better to turn out for India-A than to sit on the bench in England. “I spoke to (chairman of selectors) M.S.K. Prasad sir and India head coach Ravi (Shastri) sir before leaving England. They told me to play as much cricket as possible.
“The conditions in England were such that a team can play only one spinner. So opportunities for me were few. I’d rather play here, as sitting out of the Indian team does not really help me. These two unofficial Tests are very important for me, as I can build my red-ball experience. If I get into rhythm for India-A, then I will be better prepared for the West Indies series,” Kuldeep said here on Tuesday.
“There were big crowds to watch the Test series against England. Here, you hardly get a crowd, so you need to find motivation. I tell myself that I should focus on performing at my best regardless of which team I represent,” Kuldeep said.
