IND vs WI: "A Wrist-Spinner Can Do A Better Job..." - Aakash Chopra Believes Kuldeep Yadav Should've Been In The Squad
Published - 23 Jul 2023, 02:35 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:15 AM
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav should have played in the second Test against the West Indies. Aakash Chopra highlighted that Kuldeep Yadav could have added more value to the team with his variation on flat tracks.
The Rohit Sharma-led team fielded three pacers and two spinners for the second test at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. The visitors struggled to pick wickets off Windies batters and took only four wickets on Day 3. The hosts scored 229 runs for the loss of five wickets at the stumps.
The Pitch Is More Dead – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted that the Indian bowlers showed disciplined efforts, even though they didn’t get much support from the surface.
“Mukesh Kumar got his first wicket, which was very good because the first wicket is important. You got disciplined bowling from Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj – everyone. One thing was definitely there that this was not the pitch where you should have probably played three fast bowlers,” Chopra said.
“India should have played Axar Patel here and if you had a bowler named Kuldeep Yadav in your squad, you could have played him on such pitches. When the pitch is more dead, a wrist-spinner can do a better job than a finger-spinner,” he added.
Only One Team Is Trying To Win – Aakash Chopra
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted the hosts’ defensive approach towards a draw and added that the Indian bowlers should pick up wickets early to enforce the result.
“You cannot ensure a contest. What we saw in Trinidad is that only one team is trying to win, the other team is trying to play, that they will continue playing and the result be damned. So that is a problem for sure,” he further stated.
“In such a case, if there is context but no contest, you need bounce from the pitch. If there is bounce and it is a slightly bowling-friendly pitch, you can create chances and actually force the issue. Two days’ play is still left and India will have to do all the running,” he concluded.
Earlier, the Rohit Sharma-led team was bowled out for 438 runs in their first innings. Virat Kohli smashed a century, while Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin scored half-centuries.
Also read: IND vs WI: “I Was Slightly Surprised He Didn’t Score A Century” – Aakash Chopra On Ravindra Jadeja
