"It is important that leg-spinners be given opportunities in red-ball cricket as well" - Saba Karim 

Premium leg-spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal are yet to feature in whites for India

Former India wicket-keeper Saba Karim noted the prolonged absence of leg-spinners on the Test circuit. The modern game has redirected leg-spinners towards the shortest formats of the game on the back of variations and more control.

No leg-spinner has featured in the Indian team for over five years now. Amit Mishra was the last bowler of the kind to play a Test for the country. The success achieved by the finger-spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin has made it hard for the selectors to look beyond the pair. Axar Patel and Jayant Yadav pose as the squad's back-up spinners with no leg-spinners on the radar.

While speaking on the Khelneeti podcast on YouTube, Saba Karim said:

"The involvement of leg-spinners depends on how we are grooming them. There are several leg-spinners in the country that are playing for their respective states and performing well. On the surface, there is Yuzvendra Chahal and Rahul Chahar. Then comes Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Markhande. A lot of it depends on the backing given to the player by the captain and management. It is important that leg-spinners be given opportunities in red-ball cricket as well. Only then the dying art will be revived." Karim explained

Kuldeep Yadav marks the only other wrist spinner who has left his mark in Test cricket. The likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been a vital cog in the white-ball squads in the recent past, have not even received a call-up to the national team.

There are a lot of leg-spinners when it comes to white-ball cricket: Karim

The prospect of defensive field settings and batsmen's aggressive mentality have brought upon a lot of success for the leg-spinners. According to Karim, the vast difference in approach when it comes to red ball cricket is the reason behind the lack of leg spinners in Test cricket, especially in India. Karim added:

"There are a lot of leg-spinners when it comes to white-ball cricket. In white-ball cricket, you can bowl attacking leg-spin and have the provision to set a defensive field. The spinner knows that batsman will look to attack him, so the chances of taking a wicket are high. But, in red-ball cricket, leg spinners are required to bowl defensively with an attacking field so that is why they tend to leak runs at times." Karim reasoned

The changing nature of the tracks in the domestic circuit is also being cited as a reason behind this issue. While the emergence of sporty wickets aiding pace and bounce has brought upon a rise in quality seamers, it has arguably slowed down the progress of leg-spinners.