Manchester: As England dominated the opening session of the fifth Test against India, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly raised serious questions about the team’s selection choices particularly the continued omission of spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Ganguly didn’t mince words, stating that Kuldeep’s presence could have significantly altered the match’s direction.
“India wouldn’t have found themselves under this much pressure if Kuldeep had played,” Ganguly said, pointing out that the spinner’s left-arm wrist spin would have been crucial, especially on the later days of the Test. “He should have been part of the squad not just here, but in Manchester, Lord’s, and Birmingham too. He’s the kind of bowler who can shift momentum on the fourth and fifth days,” he added.
The criticism came as England made a commanding start in their first innings after India was bowled out for a modest 224. England's top order capitalized on a lackluster Indian bowling attack, racing past 100 runs in just 12 overs. Zak Crawley hammered a fluent half-century and remained unbeaten, while Ben Duckett contributed a quick 41 before falling. Captain Ollie Pope and Joe Root looked set to further tighten England’s grip on the match.
India entered the Test with four key changes. Shardul Thakur was dropped, making way for Karun Nair. Jasprit Bumrah was rested, and youngster Akash Deep took his place. Prasidh Krishna replaced Anshul Kamboj, while Dhruv Jurel stepped in for the injured Rishabh Pant. However, Kuldeep Yadav, who has bagged 21 wickets in just six Tests against England, remained sidelined along with Arshdeep Singh and Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Ganguly’s frustration echoes sentiments among fans and analysts who see Kuldeep as India’s most potent spin option in overseas conditions, especially against England’s aggressive top order. Known for his ability to extract sharp turn and bounce, Kuldeep has a history of troubling English batters with his variations.
England’s playing XI featured Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue an aggressive, deep batting line-up. India’s side, led by Shubman Gill, included Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj.
With England off to a flying start and India’s bowlers struggling for breakthroughs, the spotlight now turns to the selectors' decisions decisions that, if Ganguly is to be believed, may already be costing India dearly.