Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin slammed the management for Kuldeep Yadav’s omission in the fourth T20I against the West Indies at Hyderabad on Wednesday. Ashwin said the team’s think tank decision to leave out Yadav lacks a bit of common sense as West Indies batters were struggling to pick his googly and leg-spin.
In the first two games of the series, Kuldeep returned with three wickets at an average of 28.67, but the wrist spinner conceded his runs at an economy rate of 10.75. Kuldeep returned with expensive figures of 1-53 in his quota of four overs in the second game of the series and could not find a place in the third and fourth match.
Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “It is very surprising because, on a ground where you expect to get some bounce, I know it has not always been a happy hunting ground for spinners, but the West Indies batters are struggling to pick his googly and leg-spin. So, if you are leaving Kuldeep out against them, it lacks a bit of common sense. It is very surprising because I think his presence could have made a difference of 15-20 runs.”
Ashwin admitted that Kuldeep’s exclusion from the third T20I at Indore made sense as the stadium has smaller boundaries.
He added, “I was surprised. Kuldeep was not picked in Indore, and I would still endorse that decision because I can understand that the ground is small. But you are almost making an issue out of it by suggesting that India’s loss in Ranchi was because of Kuldeep. That, in itself, is wrong.”
West Indies posted a par score of 247 runs on the board in the penultimate game, with Shai Hope scoring another century. India could only manage 223 in the run-chase and suffered a 24-run loss.
The fifth and final match of the series between India and the West Indies will be played at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Saturday.
