"Just one Test will not put Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Axar Patel" - Dinesh Karthik on India leaving out the wrist-spinner for 2nd Test vs Bangladesh

Dinesh Karthik believes that the Indian team management took a fair call by dropping left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test against Bangladesh on Thursday, December 22.

During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Karthik opined that India could not have dropped Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel to accommodate an extra seamer, given that they are currently the premier spinners of the side.

He also claimed that Kuldeep could not be ahead of Axar in the pecking order after just one good Test match. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer explained:

"We have to accept that Ravichandran Ashwin is our No.1 spinner. At No. 2, it's definitely Axar Patel as of today because of the performances he has given and with Ravindra Jadeja not being around. That leaves Kuldeep Yadav in the No.3 spot."

"Just one Test match will not put Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Axar Patel," he added. "Axar has done very well, emerging as the leader of the spin attack when Ashwin has had a tough day. So if India had decided to go with three medium pacers because of the pitch and the axe had to fall on a spinner, they went with Kuldeep, which is understandable.

"Kuldeep will know that his time will come. I feel this decision was a fair one, considering how Axar has been bowling over a period of time."

Notably, Kuldeep made a fantastic return to Test cricket, picking up eight wickets in the series opener against Bangladesh. He also chipped in with a valuable 40-run knock in the first innings.

Despite the heroics, he had to make way for Jaydev Unadkat for the second fixture, as India went with three fast bowlers and two spinners.

Speaking about KL Rahul's captaincy on Day 1 of the second Test, Karthik suggested that the stand-in skipper was able to rotate his bowlers well. He commended Rahul for backing his seamers on a surface where others would have been tempted to bowl two spinners in tandem.

"KL Rahul had a good day," Karthik continued. "The good thing about him is that when wickets are not falling, he is still able to keep the run rate under control. He doesn't think twice about bringing the medium pacers back into the attack and rotates them well."

Indian bowlers did an exceptional job after Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first. They bundled out the home team for 227 runs. Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin picked up four wickets each, while Jaydev Unadkat bagged two scalps.

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"Rahul Dravid takes the onus and talks to the players" - Dinesh Karthik on Team India head coach

Dinesh Karthik further went on to say that as head coach, Rahul Dravid needs to make certain tough decisions at times, pointing out how he had to bench Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test.

He emphasized that Dravid believes in communicating with the team members and making them understand the team's goals. While Karthik suggested that Kuldeep Yadav is bound to be disappointed with the call, he will have to look at the bigger picture. The keeper-batter elaborated:

"In the current setup, Rahul Dravid takes the onus and talks to the players, explaining to them the reasoning behind certain decisions. The player has to accept what is coming his way. You can ask questions, and they will be answered by Rahul Dravid.

"But there is no easy way to say such things. There will be hard conversations to have when you are a leader, and you cannot shy away from them. For the moment, when you talk to them, it will never go down okay with them. They will obviously sulk, and they might get upset. But you just hope that they look at the bigger picture."

Meanwhile, India currently have a 1-0 lead in the two-match series against Bangladesh. The ongoing second fixture is of utmost importance for the side, given that they need to secure at least four wins from their five remaining matches in the World Test Championship to make it to the finals.