Cricket Analysis: Ganguly Argues That Kuldeep Should Have Been Included in England Matches at Lord's and Manchester
Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly believes that India missed a crucial opportunity by not including spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the ongoing Test series against England. Ganguly, who is currently the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), expressed his views in a recent interview.
Ganguly highlighted the importance of quality spin bowling in English conditions, citing the success of great spinners like Shane Warne, Murali, England's Swann, Panesar, India's Kumble, Harbhajan, and Ashwin in the past. He pointed out that without a specialist spinner like Kuldeep, bowling out the opposition on flatter English pitches can be tough.
Kuldeep, who has 56 Test wickets at an average of 22.16 and a high strike rate among spinners, could have significantly improved India's bowling attack, according to Ganguly. His absence was especially felt in the second, third, and fourth Tests, where India struggled to dismiss England, particularly on flatter pitches.
Ganguly urged the team management to persist with Kuldeep, reflecting his belief in Kuldeep's value for success in English conditions. He noted that India's bowling attack lacked penetration on surfaces with less assistance for fast bowlers, where Kuldeep's spin would have added variety.
Despite Kuldeep's omission, India put up a valiant fight in the Lord's Test, coming close but falling short, going 1-2 down in the series. Ganguly believes that India should have won the Lord's Test and is confident they will win at The Oval to level the series.
In the Manchester Test, India drew the game after a brilliant batting display from KL Rahul (90), Shubman Gill (103), Washington Sundar (101 not out), and Ravindra Jadeja (107 not out). The Indian batting unit has produced 11 centuries in four Tests, with four by Gill, two each by Rishabh Pant and Rahul, and one apiece by Jadeja, Sundar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Ganguly also praised Gill's leadership and performance in the series, calling him outstanding. However, he did not express any opinions about Anshul Kamboj's performance in the series, who had a forgettable debut at Manchester, returning figures of 1/89 after he was called up to replace an injured Akash Deep.
In other news, Ganguly and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had a disagreement with Fortis over a request to stay 2.5 meters away from the playing surface at The Oval. Despite these challenges, Ganguly remains confident that India will win the final game and level the series.
References:
- ESPNcricinfo
- Cricbuzz
- NDTV
- The Hindu
Sourav Ganguly, recognizing the impact of health on sports performance, emphasized that Kuldeep Yadav's travel to England could enhance India's cricket team's chances, particularly in the challenging English conditions. Additionally, striving for a balanced team composition, he suggested that the inclusion of a specialist spinner, like Kuldeep, would contribute to a more diverse and effective bowling attack, providing an advantage in confronting flatter pitches during travel.
