Gautam Gambhir attacked by India's TRUMP CARD for shocking dressing room activity

Ravichandran Ashwin has launched an unexpected attack at India's new head coach Gautam Gambhir, questioning the team’s selection strategy for the ongoing fourth Test against England at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester.

The former Indian all-rounder lashed out at Gautam Gambhir for the omission of Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI so far in the ongoing five-match Test series. However, Ashwin was critical of the wrist-spinner’s snub from the ongoing fourth Test in Manchester.

India’s decision to replace the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy with Shardul Thakur left the former off-spinner furious at the Indian captain, Shubman Gill, and Gautam Gambhir. He blamed the Indian cricket team management for sticking to a batting-heavy approach that left the team toothless with the ball, and that was evident on Day 2 of the ongoing Manchester Test.

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Ravichandran Ashwin blasts Gautam Gambhir over Kuldeep Yadav snub in Manchester Test

After putting up 358 runs in the first innings, India had a tough outing with the ball on Day 2 of the ongoing fourth Test. England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley came out all guns blazing, smashing 225 runs for the loss of just two wickets as the hosts trailed by only 133 runs by stumps.

Read Also: Watch: Mohammed Siraj-Ben Duckett fire heavy artillery at each other

With Shardul Thakur scoring 41 but bowling just five overs in England’s counterattack and giving away 35 runs, Ashwin questioned Gautam Gambhir's logic behind selecting an all-rounder who barely contributed with the ball in the must-win game of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

As Kuldeep Yadav continues to warm the bench on the England tour, Ashwin believes that the wrist-spinner was a must-pick, especially with India’s pace attack showing signs of fatigue.

He slammed the Gautam Gambhir-led team management’s outdated obsession with chasing 20-30 extra runs at the expense of picking genuine wicket-takers like Kuldeep.

India missed a trick by benching Kuldeep Yadav, says Ravichandran Ashwin

The former Indian legend boldly noted that such thinking doesn’t win matches in the modern era, especially in England. Ashwin accused the think tank of missing a golden opportunity to make the most of Kuldeep’s brilliance with the ball.

He also questioned Gautam Gambhir’s aggressive brand of cricket, wondering why the team didn’t back an attacking option when they had already picked batting all-rounders in Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja for the ongoing fourth Test in Manchester.

Picking 2 wickets > scoring 30 runs in the lower order. @ashwinravi99 championing the cause for Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion in our Day 2 Review of the Manchester Test!

Watch the full video: https://t.co/wZHzIBm7rc pic.twitter.com/RTmm6VthWn

— Kutti Stories with Ash (@crikipidea) July 25, 2025

Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “If somebody had told me that Kuldeep Yadav would not be playing any part in the first four tests, I would have been very, very surprised. Unfortunately, it is our obsession with batting and looking for those 20-30 extra runs. Gone are those days in England; that advantage of 20-30 runs is gone.”

Read Also: Virat Kohli called to Manchester to rescue team India vs England

He continued, “If your No. 7 makes 30 runs and your No. 8 makes 30 runs, you have an extra 60 runs. Earlier, those 60 runs used to be very useful because bowlers used to get help from the pitch. Picking up 2-3 wickets is even more critical than making those 30-40 runs.”

Ravichandran Ashwin hints Kuldeep Yadav could've sparked a breakthrough on Day 2

The former spinner noted that Kuldeep Yadav might not have taken a five-wicket haul, but his presence alone could have made a difference when India needed a breakthrough on Day 2.

Ashwin signed off by saying, “I am not saying that Kuldeep would have picked up five wickets if he were playing, but it plays with a batter’s mind. A lot of these guys don’t pick him, and this was a great opportunity. He would have at least picked one wicket if he were playing today.”