Dropping A Man Of The Match Is Unbelievable: Gavaskar After India Exclude Kuldeep Yadav From Playing 11 in 2nd IND vs BAN Test

Sunil Gavaskar was baffled when captain KL Rahul announced that the team has left Kuldeep Yadav out of the 11 in the second India vs Bangladesh Test.

India’s Kuldeep Yadav reacts after the dismissal of Bangladesh's Litton Das (not pictured) during the fourth day of the first cricket Test match between Bangladesh and India at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on December 17, 2022.

Source : Munir uz ZAMAN / AFP

While Kuldeep Yadav registered his best-ever figures in Test match cricket in India's series opener in Chattogram where the Men in Blue registered a comprehensive 188-run win over the hosts, it wasn't enough for a place in the Playing 11 in the second Test match.  When captain KL Rahul walked out at the toss on Thursday, he announced that India have given Jaydev Unadkat a game instead of Kuldeep Yadav who had ended the first Test with match figures of 8/113. 

"I've taken advice from the experts: the coaching staff and seniors, to learn more about the pitch. We have confidence from the win in our first Test, and we need to get our mind in here. It might be damp in the first session, getting early wickets would be good. We have Jaydev Unadkat come in for Kuldeep Yadav. Hard decision on Kuldeep but we know Ashwin and Axar can find spin, and bring Jaydev in to cover all bases," Rahul said at the toss.

However, India's decision and Rahul's explanation could not convince former India captain Sunil Gavaskar who was baffled with the decision, saying it was unbelievable to leave a Man of the Match out.

Surely, one of the other spinners could have been dropped: Gavaskar

"Dropping a Man of the Match, is unbelievable. That’s the only word I can use and it’s a gentle word. I would like to use quite stronger words, but it’s unbelievable that you left out a man of the match, who got eight out of the 20 wickets," Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.

He added that one of the other two spinners in R Ashwin or Axar Patel could have been dropped.

"You have got two other spinners. So surely, one of the other spinners could have been dropped. But this guy, who took eight wickets should have played today with due respect to what the pitch looks like," he added.

Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka but find themselves in a bit of a trouble having lost their 4th wicket at the score of 130.