Kuldeep main Test spinner overseas: Shastri
WELLINGTON: Kuldeep Yadav is firmly ahead of R Ashwin in the pecking order as India’s frontline spinner on foreign soil, head coach Ravi Shastri asserted, citing his five-wicket haul against Australia in the Sydney Test this year.
Shastri made it clear that going forward, wrist spinners will be in vogue in Test cricket and Kuldeep is “already” ahead of Ashwin and Jadeja as the country’s No 1 spinner.
“Already! He plays overseas Test cricket and he gets five wickets, so he becomes our primary overseas spinner. Going ahead, if we have to play one spinner, he is the one we will pick,” Shastri told ‘Cricbuzz’.
“There is a time for everyone (referring to Ashwin’s poor fitness record in 2018). But now Kuldeep is our frontline No 1 overseas spinner,” he added.
Kuldeep bagged a five-for in the rain-affected Sydney Test and most of the Australia batsmen failed to read him.
“I was very impressed with the way Kuldeep bowled in Sydney. Even in Test cricket, it is going to be the age of wrist spin, especially in overseas Test cricket. The way he bowled in Sydney, he becomes our No 1 spinner in overseas Test cricket,” Shastri said.
Cheteshwarpujarawasarevelation during the tour of Australia where he played a massive role in the country’s first ever 2-1 series win, fetching the Player-ofthe-series award for it.
However, the same Pujara was dropped for the first Test against England in Birmingham and Shastri revealed how a minor glitch in his stance was corrected, which wasn’t entirely technical.
“It wasn’t a technical issue. It was in his posture and the way he stood at the crease. It was a small thing, which can happen when you have played day in, and day out. I felt it was an issue,” Shastri said.
“We had to factor in if we wanted to take the risk of that first Test or get him right for the next 7-8 Tests. Or, take that chance of playing in all 8 Tests and he doesn’t have enough time to sort that,” the coach, known for his cricketing acumen, said.
According to Shastri, the problem crept in when Pujara was playing county cricket in 2018 and it was a “conscious decision” to drop Pujara in England.
“And I will do that again if I get the results like the way I have,” said the straight talking coach.
Since coming back from Australia, Pujara has played three back-to-back first-class games for Saurashtra, including the ongoing Ranji final in Nagpur and the coach feels it’s time he takes some rest.