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India vs Sri Lanka two-match Test series have concluded with India winning the series, marking Shubman Gill’s first Test series win in two-or-more matches and also an away Test series win. After Sri Lanka’s hard-fought draw, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a swipe at management for leaving out Kuldeep Yadav for the 2nd Test in Colombo.
India won the first Test match by 165 runs at Galle, and in the second Test match, the Island nation earned a draw after Sonal Dinusha’s excellent innings along with the tailenders of the team. Despite the series win, India are currently placed in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027 points table.
"People are supporting Kuldeep Yadav": Ravichandran Ashwin backs Kuldeep Yadav
Ravi Ashwin, while speaking on his YouTube channel, backed Kuldeep Yadav despite the spinner struggling in terms of form; he believes that Kuldeep needs some confidence and backing to get back to his very best. The team management bowled Ravindra Jadeja a lot, and it was difficult for the veteran spinner to bowl in longer spells.
"Many people are supporting Kuldeep Yadav but many are also against saying what did he do in the last match? It is very difficult to understand. From a player's perspective, his confidence is at the lowest at this point. If you go underground and search also you will not find it. From 60th to 80th over, Jadeja bowls a lot."
"Why does he bowl a lot there? It is difficult to score runs. That is what they say, but it is also difficult to operate for a spinner. Even an extra spell is not extended and it is so unlucky."
Why is Kuldeep Yadav an X-factor for India?
The former spinner also revealed that if the left-arm wrist spinner played the second game, he could have been the X factor. Ashwin also states that he feels for the 31-year-old Indian spinner. He feels that India should play the wrist spinner in the forthcoming series.
"With tailenders batting with Dinusha, if Kuldeep was there with his googly and leg break, there would have been some X factor. What wrong has he done? Why is he not getting picked? I really feel sorry for him," he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"They will make him play the next Test (next series) now. But two mistakes does not make one right. The first Test had nothing to do with the second. You had already won the first Test so you could have backed him. I am just not able to accept it," he said.
Kuldeep Yadav recent form
The wrist spinner in the first Test picked just one wicket combined in both innings and was not as lethal as the other spinners like Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja, who picked 7 wickets combined in the first innings, and in the second innings, Kuldeep failed to pick a wicket, with Suthar picking a 6-fer and Jaddu picking one wicket.
The 31-year-old has been struggling with form across formats. He has been in and out of the ODI and T20I teams as well. He also had a poor IPL for Delhi Capitals.
