Axar Patel vs Kuldeep Yadav - Who should be India's third Test spinner going forward?

Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav starred in India's Test win against Bangladesh in Chattogram earlier this month. Patel scalped five wickets in the game, while Yadav bagged an eight-wicket haul. The two spinners ensured that India won the first match of the World Test Championship series by 188 runs.

Both Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are likely to feature in the Indian playing XI for the second match of the World Test Championship series against Bangladesh, starting on December 22. However, the new selection committee will have to pick one spinner from Kuldeep and Axar when Ravindra Jadeja recovers from his injury.

Jadeja will walk into the playing XI when he is fit. Ravichandran Ashwin is India's number one spinner. So, when India play a Test in subcontinental conditions, the team management will have to leave either Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing XI.

In this article, we will analyze the records of both Patel and Yadav so far in their Test careers and try to pick the better option.

Why Kuldeep Yadav has an upper hand over Axar Patel

India Test Headshots Session (Image: Getty)

Kuldeep Yadav has played eight Tests for the Indian team so far. He has scalped 34 wickets in those games, registering three five-wicket hauls. Notably, two out of his three five-wicket hauls have come outside India.

Axar Patel, on the other hand, has played seven Tests, where he has picked up 44 wickets at an average of 13. Patel has five five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket match haul to his name in the longest format of the game.

Patel's numbers seem much better than Yadav. Besides, Patel is also a more reliable batting option than Yadav. The one thing that gives Yadav a slight edge over Patel, however, is that he is a left-arm wrist spin bowler.

Axar Patel is a left-arm spinner and a left-handed batter just like Ravindra Jadeja. So when Jadeja is available to play, the Indian team management would prefer to have variety in the spin attack. The variety aspect may prompt them to include a wrist spinner in the team instead of another finger spinner.

Depending on the combination of the playing XI, India should pick the more suitable option between Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. If the team has enough batting depth, they can pick Yadav. Otherwise, if the team needs an extra batter, Patel would be the better choice.