Why Kuldeep Yadav is not playing today

Team India have left out left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav from their playing XI for the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia, which began at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday, February 9.

There were reports ahead of the first Test that India might go in with all four frontline spinners in Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep, considering that the Nagpur strip was expected to offer plenty of turn.

The hosts, however, stuck to three spinners and two pacers. While Ashwin and comeback man Jadeja picked themselves in the playing XI, India went with left-arm spinner Axar as the third spinner ahead of Kuldeep. Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj were named as the two pacers.

Speaking after losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, Team India captain Rohit Sharma said:

“We would have batted too. Looks pretty dry. There will be help for spinners. We got to wait and see how much it does. We know the importance of the series but we also understand it's about winning one session at a time. Three spinners and two seamers.”

Three players across teams are making their debuts in the first India-Australia Test.

While India have handed Test caps to Suryakumar Yadav and keeper-batter KS Bharat, Australia have named young off-spinner Todd Murphy in their playing XI.

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India vs Australia 1st Test playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Srikar Bharat (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.

Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey (w), Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Scott Boland.

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Unlucky Kuldeep Yadav

Despite some impressive Test performances, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep has been constantly in and out of the red-ball team. The 28-year-old made his debut against Australia in Dharamsala in March 2017.

He has only featured in eight Test matches so far and has claimed 34 wickets at an excellent average of 21.55, with three five-wicket hauls.

Kuldeep was the Player of the Match for his all-round effort in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram in December last year. He picked up eight wickets (5/40 and 3/73) and scored a handy 40 in India’s first innings.

Ironically, he was dropped for the second Test of the series in Bangladesh, leading to a massive backlash.