IND vs ENG: Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion a blunder for India in England? Kapil Dev questions team selection

India is currently behind 1-2 in the ongoing Test series against England following a heartbreaking loss at Lord's. Despite India's commendable performance in all three Tests, one persistent issue plagues the team - the spinners' struggle to take wickets. Washington Sundar excelled by claiming four wickets in England's second innings at Lord's, yet the hosts still managed to establish a 193-run target for India. Although Ravindra Jadeja has been outstanding with the bat, his bowling performance has been underwhelming, with just three wickets in six innings.

India’s choice to bench Kuldeep Yadav, who has been performing well, has not been well received by former India captain Kapil Dev. He asserts that Kuldeep's absence is detrimental to India’s prospects in the series.

“Kuldeep not playing doesn’t seem to hold much value in the current context, because Team India has been playing well. In the third Test, many expected him to feature, but the fast bowlers did the job and picked up wickets," Kapil told news agency IANS.

“Kuldeep Yadav is in top form right now. He was lethal during the ODI World Cup and bowled brilliantly throughout the tournament. Not playing him at the right moments has cost India heavily. In the recent matches, it’s the batters who have failed, not the bowlers," he added.

Despite Kuldeep's consistent presence in the Indian white-ball team, the side coached by Gautam Gambhir continues to give him rest. Since his debut in March 2017, he has participated in only 13 Tests, yet his performance is quite remarkable: 56 wickets at an average of 22.16, which includes four five-wicket hauls.

Throughout this tour of England, India's emphasis has been on bolstering their batting lineup, frequently selecting players who can add value with the bat. In response to this approach, Kapil remarked:  “You can’t expect someone like Kuldeep or even Bumrah to score 100 runs – that would be unrealistic."

“I’ve spoken to Kuldeep recently, and I told him to stay fit and be ready to deliver whenever given a chance. All we can do is hope – the final decision lies with the coach and the captain. But there’s no doubt that Kuldeep is currently one of the finest and most senior spinners in the country," he said.

“Yes, his morale is high, but deep down he must also be wondering when he’ll get his chance – after all, he’s only human. He can be a crucial asset for Team India in Manchester. I spoke to him; he’s focused," he added.

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