India’s ongoing Test series against England has raised eyebrows not just for the thrilling on-field battles but also for some of the selection decisions that have puzzled cricketing minds. One of the biggest surprises of the tour has been the complete sidelining of Kuldeep Yadav, India’s premier wrist-spinner, who did not get a single game in the five-match series.
Despite English conditions offering signs of wear and tear deep into the games, Kuldeep warmed the bench throughout, as India persisted with the all-round options of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly didn’t mince words while sharing his disappointment over Kuldeep’s exclusion.
Speaking at a recent Bisk Farm event, Sourav Ganguly stated that Kuldeep should’ve featured in at least three Tests — especially in Birmingham, Lord’s, and Manchester — where conditions turned out to be conducive for spin bowling. “On Day 5, you need quality spinners to take wickets. There was rough on the surface and assistance for spin, but no specialist to exploit it. That’s where India missed a trick,” Ganguly said, as quoted by The Hindu.
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Drawing parallels to the great spinners of the past — Warne, Muralitharan, Kumble, Harbhajan, Swann, and Ashwin — Ganguly emphasised that championship teams have always been built around world-class spinners. He believes Kuldeep is in that mould and should be given more backing in future tours where conditions demand spin dominance.
The former skipper also highlighted another notable omission — swing bowler Mukesh Kumar. Sourav Ganguly, who hails from West Bengal like Mukesh, was baffled by his absence. “Mukesh has terrific red-ball numbers in domestic cricket. He would’ve been the ideal bowler in English conditions, where movement off the seam and through the air makes all the difference,” he observed.
That said, Ganguly was all praise for India’s batting effort in the series. He singled out captain Shubman Gill for leading from the front, especially with his sublime overseas century.
Comparing it to India’s strong batting units in their 2002 and 2007 tours to England, Ganguly noted, “When you give youngsters responsibility, they rise. Shubman has batted brilliantly, and his hundred outside the subcontinent shows his maturity.”
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Gill has topped the run charts this series, amassing 743 runs across nine innings at an outstanding average of 82.55. As India enters the final day of the fifth Test at The Oval with the series on the line, all eyes will be on how the side’s decisions — past and present — shape the outcome.
