'Most underutilised test cricket:' Fans rage after Kuldeep Yadav misses the whole England series

Fans of the Indian cricket team expressed disappointment on social media after Kuldeep Yadav was not selected for the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in London.

Both Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh did not play a single game in ENG vs IND test series. Image | BCCI on X

Indian cricket team fans showed disappointment and rage on social media after Kuldeep Yadav was not selected for the fifth test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in London.

Kuldeep, the chainaman bowler, was supposed to be playing after missing all four matches of the test series. However, his non-selection meant he, along with Abhimanyu Easwaran and Arshdeep Singh, would return to India without playing a single game in the test series.

India's lineup for the fifth test

India made as many as four changes in the playing XI for the fifth ENG vs IND test at the Kennington Oval, London. Akash Deep replaced Jasprit Bumrah. Dhruv Jurel came in for injured Rishabh Pant. Meantime, Prasidh Krishna and Karun Nair come in for Anshul Kamboj and Shardul Thakur.

Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL.Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Read Also: Selection Gamble? India Opt for Four Changes in Must-Win 5th Test against England

Why did India not play Kuldeep Yadav?

Although it is very easy to point a finger at Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill for not playing Kuldeep Yadav, playing him at the Oval would not have been easy. The green pitch suggested that there would be assistance for the pacers, and with cloudy conditions India had to go for that extra pacer with Jasprit Bumrah being out due to workload management, adding that a pacer was a must.

Now, with the runs Washington Sundar scored in the limited chances he got, along with a maiden match-saving ton in Manchester, it was impossible to keep him aside. So, if you replace Shardul Thakur with Kuldeep Yadav, with three spinners on this pitch would have been a blunder. Moreover, India would have been a batter short, which Gautam Gambhir dislikes. In the whole series, we have seen how he always wanted that extra batter, even if it was after a sacrifice of a bowler.

Hence, even though it is harsh on Kuldeep, it is more logical to have Prasidh and Karun Nair in that lineup for India. Although some former Indian cricketers wanted a genuine bowler in place of all-rounders like Shardul, Washington Sundar, or Ravindra Jadeja.

Kuldeep Yadav's test career so far

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