In the ongoing second Test between India and West Indies, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels that the absence of Kuldeep Yadav has left India missing a valuable asset. As India posted a formidable total of 438 runs after being asked to bat first, the hosts were left with a first-innings deficit of 209 runs on the rain-truncated Day 3 at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Chopra praised Indian bowlers for their dedicated efforts but pointed out that the pitch conditions didn't favor playing three fast bowlers. He suggested that Axar Patel should have been part of the playing XI and emphasized that Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion could have been beneficial on such tracks. According to him, a wrist spinner like Kuldeep can do a better job on dead pitches compared to a finger spinner.
Axar Patel, who is the third spinner in India's Test squad, has been overlooked for both matches against the indies. On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav was only included in the white-ball fixtures despite his impressive five-wicket haul in his previous Test against Bangladesh.
"One thing was definitely there that this was not the pitch where you should have probably played three fast bowlers. India should have played Axar Patel here and if you had a bowler named Kuldeep Yadav in your squad, you could have played him on such pitches. When the pitch is more dead, a wrist-spinner can do a better job than a finger-spinner," Chopra said in a video on his Youtube channel.
Chopra disappointed, calls for improvement
Chopra expressed disappointment with the defensive approach of West Indies batters, which resulted in a lack of competition in the game. He remarked that only one team seemed eager to win, while the other team was content with merely playing without focusing on the outcome, which he deemed a problem.
"You cannot ensure a contest. What we saw in Trinidad is that only one team is trying to win, the other team is trying to play, that they will continue playing and the result be damned. So that is a problem for sure," he added.
The pitch in Trinidad lacked bounce, and Chopra emphasized that India would need to pick up the pace to create chances for a favorable result. With two days' play remaining, he believed India must push for quick runs in their second innings to have enough time to bowl out West Indies in the fourth innings.
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