The Indian team made a surprise call on Wednesday (December 14) morning as they opted to pick three spinners in the team. However, more shocking for the Indian team was the inclusion of one player that raised eyebrows as he returned to the Test fold after almost two years, having gone missing under Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli. The shocking return of the Indian star also surprised commentators and left the internet wide open for debate.
Who is the Indian star?
Not since February 2021 has the star spinner been part of the Indian setup as India won the contest by 317 runs. Kuldeep Yadav would have hardly guessed that after the Test match against England in February 2021, he would have to wait for almost 22 months to get his next opportunity. The wait for Kuldeep finally came to an end on Wednesday as KL Rahul opted to go with his experience and fine form in the domestic circuit for India.
Kuldeep, having played in seven matches for India was not considered by either Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma in the Test format. He made sparing appearances in the other format and found himself on the side of the fence while sitting in the dugout and warming the bench.
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Impressive record for India
In seven Test matches for India, Kuldeep has scalped 26 wickets with a best of 57/5 against the West Indies in Rajkot in 2018. On two occasions he scalped a five-wicket haul and tried to cement his position in the Indian team. However, with Axar Patel knocking on the door and bandwidth for only one more spinner apart from Ravichandran Ashwin, it was Kuldeep who faced the axe and had to be content with a place on the bench.
However, with India in dire need of points in the World Test Championship (WTC) and Kuldeep needing a revival, the time won’t have been any perfect for him to make the Indian team. His 28th birthday has now been a special affair and will look to revive his Test career and make an impression on the team and selectors.
