Kuldeep: Playing India-A better than sitting on the bench in England

Upon his return home, Kuldeep Yadav was added to the India-A squad for the two unofficial Tests against Australia-A.

Kuldeep Yadav was dropped from the India squad for the final two Tests.

In the second Test of the ongoing England series, India took a gamble by playing two spinners in R. Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav.

The move backfired, as conditions heavily favoured seam bowling, resulting in a thumping innings victory for England.

READ| 1st Unofficial Test: Match evenly poised with one day to play

Kuldeep, who conceded 44 runs and went wicket-less in nine overs, was not picked for the next Test. The chinaman bowler was then dropped from the squad for the final two Tests.

Upon his return home, he was added to the India-A squad for the two unofficial Tests against Australia-A. Kuldeep explained that it is better to turn out for India-A than to sit on the bench in England.

“I spoke to (Chairman of Selectors) M.S.K. Prasad sir and India head coach Ravi (Shastri) sir before leaving England. They told me to play as much cricket as possible.

"The conditions in England were such that a team can play only one spinner. So opportunities for me were few. I’d rather play here, as sitting out of the Indian team does not really help me. These two unofficial Tests are very important for me, as I can build my red-ball experience.

"If I get into rhythm for India-A, then I will be better prepared for the West Indies series,” Kuldeep said here on Tuesday.

From experiencing the thrill of playing in front of packed houses in England, Kuldeep finds himself bowling in a near-empty M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. It is a mental challenge that Kuldeep has to overcome. “There were big crowds to watch the Test series against England. Here, you hardly get a crowd, so you need to find motivation. I tell myself that I should focus on performing at my best regardless of which team I
represent,” Kuldeep said.