IND vs BAN, 2nd Test: Kuldeep’s coach feels the local lad could be a value addition on Kanpur’s black-soil pitch

Despite an impressive performance against England at home earlier this year, where Kuldeep Yadav picked up 19 wickets in four games, he was left out of India’s XI in Chennai for the first Test against Bangladesh.

India’s skipper Rohit Sharma inspecting the pitch along with his teammate Kuldeep Sharma and others during practice session before the second test match against Bangladesh at Green park stadium, in Kanpur on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA/The Hindu

Rohit Sharma and Morne Morkel by his side, Kuldeep Yadav had a close look at the Green Park pitch, shortly after the Indian team reached the venue for a three-hour long training session on Wednesday afternoon.

As they walked around the surface, Morkel - the team’s new bowling coach - and captain Rohit were seen discussing a thing or two with local lad Kuldeep. The conversation continued for a while, leading to speculations over whether the wrist spinner would finally return to India’s playing eleven for the second Test against Bangladesh at a venue where it all started for him.

However, on a black soil surface that promises to aid the spinners after the initial couple of days, it will be interesting to see if India decides to go ahead with three spinners. And, in case it does, there will be a toss-up between Kuldeep and Axar Patel, who bowled in the nets for a long time, along with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. 

While the mystery continues, Kuldeep’s coach Kapil Pandey believes that his ward should be included in the playing eleven irrespective of the conditions and surface. “He is a matured bowler and his expertise should be utilised in all kinds of wickets because time and again, he has proven his mettle in red-ball cricket,” Kapil told  Sportstar.

While the seasoned coach is currently in Noida for some urgent work, he hopes to return to Kanpur by Thursday evening, hoping for Kuldeep to play against his home crowd.

“His selection shouldn’t depend on the surface. If someone can claim wickets in Dharamshala or Sydney or Chattogram, it’s a clear indication that his performance does not depend on the pitch. He can deliver anywhere - be it Chennai or Kanpur,” Kapil added.

Despite an impressive performance against England at home earlier this year, where Kuldeep picked up 19 wickets in four games, he was left out of India’s XI in Chennai for the first Test against Bangladesh.

“When you have three proven spinners, you should play all of them. The Green Park is his home ground and he knows the conditions very well, so he will do even better here,” the coach said, adding: “If they finally give Kuldeep a chance, Bangladesh will be under more pressure.”

Since his Test debut in 2017, Kuldeep has featured in only 12 fixtures so far, and Pandey believes that now that he is confident, it would be ‘really disappointing’ if he is not given a game here.

“Every player wants to make a mark at home, and after playing at the highest level for so many years and also performing consistently, one can only hope that he gets to play at home. But if he doesn’t, then it can’t get worse than that,” Kapil added.

“Look, even if you fare well anywhere in the world, playing at home ground is always a special feeling. And, if the player gets the chance, he will be doubly motivated to put in his best efforts,” he said.

While Pandey can only hope for his ward to ‘get lucky’, it hasn’t been quite smooth sailing for Kuldeep in red-ball cricket despite some incredible effort. Back in 2018-19, Kuldeep claimed a fifer in Sydney against Australia before spells of off-form and injury saw him missing out on action.

There were glimpses of his brilliance during India’s tour of Bangladesh in 2022 where he claimed eight wickets in Chattogram and forged a crucial 92-run stand for the eighth wicket with Ashwin, but even after that, he had to wait for a year and a half to prove himself during the home series against England.

There have been quite a few setbacks for the 29-year-old, but like every other time, Kapil will keep his ‘fingers crossed’ as the Indian team management decides the final eleven for the series-decisive Test at one of the iconic venues in the country.