Ajit Agarkar Surprised At Kuldeep Yadav’s Omission From India’s XI For Brisbane Test

Ajit Agarkar, former Indian pacer was very surprised to see the omission of china-man spinner Kuldeep Yadav from India’s playing XI for the Brisbane Test despite performing well in Australia in his last tour.

Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar feels left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav would be very disappointed after being omitted from India’s playing XI for the Brisbane Test despite having performed well in Australia in the previous tour.

Ajit Agarkar: Kuldeep Yadav Would Be Very Disappointed

Kuldeep Yadav ended the Australia tour with just one ODI and one practice game in Sydney after being overlooked by the management for the final Test.  He picked 1 wicket conceding 57 runs in Canberra ODI and went wicketless in Tour game against Australia A.

Notably, India head coach Ravi Shastri had backed Kuldeep Yadav as the number one spinner in overseas Tests following India’s historic 2-1 series win in Australia in 2018-2019. Surprisingly, Kuldeep Yadav has not played Test cricket since then.

“He plays overseas Test cricket and he gets five wickets, so he becomes our primary overseas spinner. Going ahead, if we have to play one spinner, he is the one we will pick,” Shastri had told Cricbuzz after Kuldeep picked a five-wicket haul in Sydney.

“There is a time for everyone. But now Kuldeep is our frontline number one overseas spinner.”

“Kuldeep would be very disappointed. He should be. After the last Test of the last series, he was the no.1 spinner for India and hasn’t played a Test since I think? If you are going with five bowlers which they have obviously looked at the experience and they had thought we need a little bit more cushion,” Ajit Agarkar told Sony Sports.

Kuldeep Yadav had last played a Test way back in January 2019 where he picked 5 wickets in Australia at Sydney in India’s last tour to Australia. He has featured in 6 Tests, 61 ODIs and 21 T20Is where he picked 24, 105 and 39 wickets averaging 24.12, 26.45 and 13.76.

Ajit Agarkar: Kuldeep Yadav Provides Variety And Done Well Before In Australia

The team management decided to hand Washington Sundar and T Natarajan Test debuts after experienced bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and batsman Hanuma Vihari missed out on the final game of the series to injuries.

“Going with five bowlers, Washington Sundar playing as an all-rounder which Jadeja was. Why not have another spinner? Gives you better balance in the attack. If the pitch flattens out and there isn’t much for the quicks then suddenly it becomes a one-dimensional attack,” Ajit Agarkar pointed out.

“Even in that attack, there is no one like a Mitchell Starc who is out and out a quick bowler. Saini’s probably the only one who has got that little bit of extra pace. Kuldeep does provide the variety and he’s done well before in Australia. Very surprised that he is not playing and he must be very disappointed,” Ajit Agarkar added.

The pacer Navdeep Saini walked off the field, having gone down holding his groin. Before walking off the field, he managed to square up Marnus Labuschagne but unfortunately for him, Ajinkya Rahane dropped a sitter at gully. After the dropped chance, the pacer was seen on the ground in some discomfort as Team India’s physio Nitin Patel came out to check on the fast-bowler before accompanying him to the pavilion.

Navdeep Saini did come back after a drinks break but left the field soon after as injury concerns grew for India. India, marred with a number of injuries, were forced to field a fairly inexperienced bowling attack.

Pacer T Natarajan and all-rounder spinner Washington Sundar were handed debuts while pacer Shardul Thakur, who had played just one Test, was also included in the XI as India made four changes for the final match of the four-game series.