Former India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has urged the team management to back spinner Kuldeep Yadav despite a tough outing in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka. Kuldeep picked up just one wicket in Galle, prompting speculation that he might be replaced by right-arm off-spinner Saransh Jain for the second match in Colombo. However, Rahane has called on India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill to give the wrist-spinner a longer rope, emphasizing that Kuldeep is a proven match-winner who needs consistent backing.
Ajinkya Rahane has called on India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill to give the player a longer rope.
Young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 6-55 in the second innings to finish with match figures of 10-101. Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 206, handing India a convincing victory.
If the team backs him now, he will deliver,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel. “I want Kuldeep Yadav to be given more confidence. He needs the team to stand by him at this point. Whenever there are crucial situations, he has picked up wickets. Yes, he did not get to bowl a lot here. All these things happen in the game, and sometimes you don’t get the rhythm. But I want to see Kuldeep being backed if the conditions are similar. He is a match-winning bowler. Speaking on India’s combination for the second Test, Rahane emphasized that the team management should avoid changing a winning combination unless conditions at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) prove to be completely different from those in Galle. “It depends on the conditions. Generally, in Sri Lanka, you expect spin-friendly conditions. When we played many years ago at SSC, it was a seaming condition. So you have to see if you want three spinners or three pacers. If there are seaming conditions and not a dry wicket, with some grass on it, then maybe there can be one change based on it. But otherwise, I don’t see any changes for the next Test. I feel it will be the same team if the conditions are the same,” he added.
