Gautam Gambhir Sends Strong Message On Kuldeep Yadav's Future Ahead Of Second Sri Lanka Test
Gautam Gambhir didn't fully divulge whether India will stick to its winning combination from Galle for the second Test against Sri Lanka, he had some words of encouragement for under-fire left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav
While India coach Gautam Gambhir didn't fully divulge whether India will stick to its winning combination from Galle for the second Test against Sri Lanka, he had some words of encouragement for under-fire left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep conceded over 100 runs in his combined 25 overs in the first Test, taking just one wicket. "Ultimately, we know how good a bowler Kuldeep is. And more importantly, sometimes, it's up to the captain as well (team selection). It's not about under-bowling. It's about getting the result. For me, I think that is more important.
"When you play five proper bowlers, someone will eventually get under-bowled. But it's not about someone not delivering and getting under-bowled. It's the captain's or the management's decision as to who will be most effective in those particular conditions.
"For a very long period of time, we have seen Kuldeep doing the right things. We know how successful and how effective he can be in the right conditions," Gambhir explained.
However, the former India opener hinted that India will stick to their five-bowler policy in the second Test as well.
"If it's a very flat wicket, the bowlers will have to work hard, maybe put in a lot of extra effort because, as I said, you'll have to take 20 wickets. If it's a flat wicket, ultimately, we have only one solution. We have five proper bowlers."
Gambhir said having five bowlers will help the skipper rotate the attack more effectively during a match.
"So, when you have five proper bowlers, you can rotate your bowlers better. We saw this in the last Test match as well. Even if Kuldeep didn't bowl a lot, we had five proper bowlers who can get you a wicket at any stage.
"But if you don't have five proper bowlers, then you won't be able to rotate your senior bowlers as effectively, and they will have to come back early. You want them to come in and create an impact. So, I always say that the team that has five proper bowlers, which is not a luxury, always has a better chance of winning a Test match," he added
Gautam Gambhir
India Cricket Team
Sri Lanka Cricket Team
Kuldeep Yadav