Kuldeep is capable enough to compete in Tests as well, believes Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar has stated that he believes the chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav is more than capable of competing in the Test arena as well. The cricketing legend has backed Yadav stating that the wrist spinner could be handy enough against Joe Root and his men in the upcoming series.
The 23-year-old had completely outfoxed the English batsmen in the first match of the ODI series by picking his career-best figures of 6/25. He then followed this performance by bagging three wickets in the next ODI. Earlier, he had started off the T20 series, which India won 2-1, on the same note by picking up a fifer in the first T20I. Eventually, the English batsmen got used to his variations without letting him open his account in the final ODI (0-55).
Tendulkar has backed the 23-year-old and was all in praise for him stating that He always felt Kuldeep was ready to compete in the longest version of the game considering his rare talent. Kuldeep was picked in India's Test squad over Yuzvendra Chahal and is widely considered to leapfrog Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI.
“I have always maintained that Kuldeep is ready for the longest version of the game. Looking at his repertoire, I think he has the capability of competing at this level. We have a lot of all-rounders in the team who add value. The keeper’s contribution with the bat is also important and we possess that as well,” said Sachin, reported Reuters.
Tendulkar further spoke about the team’s balance mentioning the
“Ashwin and Jadeja can bat also in addition to the seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya who has improved his game. On paper, I think we have a balanced side,” he added.
Unfortunately, the Indian team has been affected by injuries. Their frontline pace bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been out due to their respective injuries. Kumar’s back injury aggravated after he took a chance by playing the final ODI against England. On the other hand, Bumrah has not recovered from his thumb injury despite being included in the Test squad. Regular wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha has also been out for a long time due to his injury.
Speaking of injuries, Tendulkar gave an example of how the Indian team managed to beat Pakistan even after losing their frontline bowlers to injuries. The 45-year-old said that such things happen in sports and the team should be able to find the right balance.
“I remember one time we beat Pakistan 4-1 in Toronto without our frontline bowlers Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, and Anil Kumble. So, if the players are not there it doesn’t mean the series is gone out of hands. We still have to face this challenge and find the right balance. We are in a position to produce positive results,” he concluded.
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