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Pink-Ball Test: Sunil Gavaskar Feels India May Bench Kuldeep Yadav in Ahmedabad

India vs England 2021: Kuldeep Yadav got a Test after a gap of over two years in Chennai but may again find himself warming the benches.

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar reckons that Kuldeep Yadav may not get a second consecutive game for India should the surface for the third Test in Ahmedabad favour seaming conditions. The third Test between India and England will be a day-night affair and judging by the brief history of such contests, pacers have had the the major say in the final outcome.

Kuldeep has been travelling with the Indian team since the Australia tour but returned without playing a single Test. He was also overlooked for the series opener against England as international cricket returned to India after almost a year’s break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, after India lost the first Test, Kuldeep made the cut as India fielded a three-prong spin attack alongside two pacers. It was the chinaman’s first Test in over two years and he finished two wickets in the contest as the hosts made a roaring comeback for a mammoth 317-run win to draw level at one-all.

Gavaskar feels that the surface may force Indian team management to go with three pacers with Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel being the two spinners.

“I’m not sure if Hardik Pandya is fit enough to bowl, because if he is, he can also slot in and India might actually go with a combination depending on the surface. I don’t know what the surface at the new Motera will be like, but my feeling is that they will definitely go with three seam bowlers and two spinners,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

Gavaskar also precited that Jasprit Bumrah, after being rested for the 2nd Test, will surely play in Ahmedabad and explained why Kuldeep may have to watch the proceedings from the dressing room.

“Bumrah for sure will be back in the team. You’ll probably have a new-ball attack in Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj as your three new-ball bowlers, and Kuldeep he may find himself out of the team because it’s a pink ball Test,” the former India captain said.

He continued, “The ball does tend to do a little bit more as evening approaches. And once you play under lights, it’s a completely different seam so I would imagine that would be the only change, Bumrah coming in place of Kuldeep.”

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