Ahead of the Test series decider against England in Ahmedabad, the Indian captain Virat Kohli has confirmed that the hosts will not make too many changes in the team that trounced England last time out.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is out of the squad due to personal reasons, and off-spinner Washington Sundar did not bowl much in the third Test, so it is expected that Umesh Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav will replace the duo.
During his media interaction on Wednesday, Kohli also explained why Kuldeep is not a regular feature in the playing XI for Team India.
The Indian skipper believes it is all about the team combination in the end, which often forces the management to leave out Kuldeep.
“There is no issue with skill or headspace. His (Kuldeep Yadav) game is absolutely precise. He is bowling better than he has ever bowled before. Combinations, we need to make sure we cover all facets of the game and have our strongest talented squad on the park,” Kohli said.
The Indian talisman further mentioned that had Ravindra Jadeja been fully fit, he might have considered playing Kuldeep regularly, given his team’s batting depth.
However, a thumb injury to the left-handed all-rounder is indirectly costing Kuldeep his place in the final XI.
“See when Jadeja is playing, Kuldeep comes into the picture because of Jadeja’s experience with the bat and the number of times he has done the job for the team. Kuldeep is a very skilful bowler and will always be in consideration for whatever games we have in front of us,” added Kohli.
During the ongoing series, Axar Patel has risen to the fore in the absence of Jadeja, as the skinny left-arm spinner has proved to be a tricky customer for the visitors.
Patel has picked up three consecutive five wicket-hauls in his last three innings against the Joe Root-led side.
