IND vs ENG: R Ashwin declares management's 'batting depth' theory flawed, makes explosive case for Kuldeep Yadav

Ravichandran Ashwin has delivered a harsh assessment regarding Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion from the Test series against England, despite the Indian team facing numerous injury challenges. He criticized the Indian Team management for failing to leverage his capabilities and even questioned their fixation on enhancing batting depth.

India has encountered several difficulties lately, with multiple players such as Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, and Akashdeep sidelined due to injuries. In the fourth Test, Rishabh Pant also sustained an injury when a ball struck his foot, leading to a toe fracture. On his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin emphasized that priority should be given to players who can contribute runs in the lower order rather than bowlers who possess the genuine ability to take numerous wickets.

Ashwin pointed out that scoring 20-30 runs from the lower order is no longer a significant advantage in England. What India truly needs is authentic bowling strength.

“If somebody would have told me that Kuldeep Yadav will 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. If your No.7 makes 30 runs, and your No.8 makes 30 runs, you have extra 60 runs. Earlier that 60 runs used to be very useful, because bowlers used to get help from the pitch,” Ashwin said.

The experienced spinner also expressed confusion over why Kuldeep was not afforded a single opportunity, and this choice has left him utterly perplexed.

“If you are only planning to give Shardul Thakur this many overs, and expect 20-30 runs from him. I love Shardul Thakur, I like him a lot, but if this is the usage point, why can’t you consider Kuldeep Yadav? It is just blowing my head away. I know it seems against the grain because there are three spinners, but it is not that way, Jadeja is a specialist batter for you now. Washington Sundar is also batting well. When your bowlers can bat so well, why are you not bringing an attacking bowler?” Ashwin added.

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