"Kuldeep should bat in top 3" - Former Indian pacer's scathing statement on Team India's selection for 2nd ENG vs IND 2025 Test

Former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh launched a scathing attack on the management for leaving left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing XI for the second Test against England at Edgbaston. Shubman Gill's men lost the first Test in Leeds by five wickets after going in with four seamers and a lone spinner in Ravindra Jadeja.

Along expected lines, the side went with two spinners for the ongoing Edgbaston outing. However, for the sake of batting depth, they picked Washington Sundar as the second spinner, leaving Kuldeep out of the 11.

With the visitors preferring batting depth to a more wicket-taking spin-bowling option, Dodda Ganesh urged Kuldeep to bat at No. 3 in the Ranji Trophy as a subtle dig at the think tank.

He posted on his X handle:

"Kuldeep should bat in top 3 for Uttar Pradesh in the RanjiTrophy and get some runs, to be picked to play for India in the tests. I don’t see any other way he can force his way back into this setup where one’s secondary skill dictates the team selection."

Despite debuting in Tests in 2017, Kuldeep has played only 13 Tests in his career, with his last one coming in the home series against New Zealand in October 2024.

"We were tempted to play Kuldeep" - Indian skipper Shubman Gill

Team India skipper Shubman Gill admitted at the toss for the second England Test about being tempted to include Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI. However, he said the lower-order collapses in the first Test forced them to go for a more all-round option in Sundar.

"We were tempted to play Kuldeep but looking at the last match, our lower order didn't do well, so decided to add some depth to the batting," said Gill (via Cricbuzz).

Kuldeep's exclusion is further surprising, considering his outstanding record against England in Tests. The 30-year-old has picked up 21 wickets at an average of 22.28 in six Tests against England.

He played a massive role in India's comeback from 0-1 down to win 4-1 in their previous Test series against England at home last year. The veteran spinner bagged 19 wickets in four Tests at an average of 20.15.