Dhaka December 23, 2022: Kuldeep Yadav was omitted for the extra seamer in the Dhaka Test despite the left-arm spinner winning the Player of the Match in the previous Test.
Kuldeep had made a successful return to the longest format of the game in Chattogram, winning the Player of the Match after he took 5/40 and 3/73 in addition to making 40 with the bat in the first innings.
He was adjudged the Player of the Match for his performance, but failed to find a place in India’s Xi for the second Test in Dhaka with India opting to hand a place to left-arm quick Jaydev Unadkat, who is making a comeback to the Test foray after 12 long years.
Explaining his omission, skipper KL Rahul had said at the toss that it was “unfortunate” that Kuldeep had to miss out.
“Unfortunate decision for us to leave him [Kuldeep] out but it’s an opportunity for Unadkat,” Rahul said.
Umesh echoed the same, stating that it’s a part of the “journey”.
“It’s happened with me also,” Umesh said in the press conference after day one.
“Sometimes you perform; sometimes you are sitting out of the team because of a management call. But, it was good for him [Kuldeep] that he came back and performed well.”
“This is the team and the management call. Sometimes we have to go with the team requirements. You see the wicket and, after that, the management takes the call.”
Umesh and Ravichandran Ashwin took four-wicket hauls for India on day one as they bowled Bangladesh out for 227 after the hosts chose to bat first on winning the toss.
