India opted to leave out specialist spinner Kuldeep Yadav from their playing XI in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, instead selecting all-rounder Washington Sundar as the second spin option alongside Ravindra Jadeja. Captain Shubman Gill explained that while they were tempted to play Kuldeep, the team prioritised batting depth.LIVE: India vs England 2nd Test Day 1The Indian team made multiple changes to their lineup, with two significant modifications being the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and the non-selection of Kuldeep Yadav.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!When questioned by former England captain Michael Atherton about Kuldeep’s limited Test appearances since his 2017 debut in the longest format, having played only 13 Tests with his last appearance against New Zealand, Gill provided clarity on the decision.
“We were very tempted to play him, but, you know, looking at the last match, we wanted to add a bit of depth in the batting, and that’s what we have done,” Gill explained.The decision to exclude Kuldeep was influenced by multiple factors, including the addition of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy to the squad and the lower-order’s batting performance at Headingley.The team management’s strategy involved dropping specialist batter Sai Sudharsan in favour of an all-rounder, necessitating additional batting strength in the lineup.
Bumrah’s exclusion was primarily due to workload management considerations, as explained by Gill at the toss.“Just to manage this workload, you know, I think we did carry a good break, but it was important for us (to give Bumrah more time),” Gill stated.The captain also indicated that the upcoming third Test at Lord’s influenced their decision regarding Bumrah’s selection.“I think this is an important match for us, but I think the third match of the series is being given lots, there might be a chance that there might be a little bit more in the wicket than this one, so we thought we’d bring him better now,” Gill elaborated.England, led by Ben Stokes, won the toss and chose to bowl first, maintaining the same team that secured victory in the first Test.
