In the ongoing five-match test series against England, Team India's love towards playing batting all-rounders in the series has once again led Kuldeep Yadav to sit on the bench. Before the fourth test, it was being stated that the wrist spinner will be seen showing his magic around the host team. He is yet to play a single game in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Amid all this news, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has now finally accepted that the selection of players in the ongoing series is based on batting performance.
Currently, in the Manchester Test, it feels like the game has slipped from Shubman Gill & Co., as England has already scored more than 500 runs, which made the lead 200 runs for India, whereas India was bowled out for 358 runs in the first innings.
On the fourth day of the test, Ben Stokes and Liam Dawson, who are unbeaten on 77 and 21 runs, will be returning to the field. No Indian bowlers made it to the expectations; Joe Root smashed his 38th Test century, which makes him now the second-highest run scorer in the test.
After stumps on Day 3, Morne Morkel addressed the press conference, where he broke silence on why Kuldeep Yadav still hasn't got the chance.
He said,
"I think it's finding when he comes in, how we can find balance, and how we can get that batting line-up to be a little bit longer and stronger. We've seen in the past that we've lost wickets in clumps. Kuldeep is world-class, and he's bowling really well at the moment, so we're trying our best to find ways for him to get in. But unfortunately, with that, just to balance with batting, it throws it out a little bit."
NEED A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA BATTING PROTECTION
Further, the Indian bowling coach stated that having more batting protection is important when playing against England, as they already have a history of piling runs like a wall.
He said,
"I do think at the end of the day you need runs on the board, and for us obviously giving that a little bit of extra batting protection, wanting to get totals of 400-plus. You need it against England, especially the way they play, their brand of cricket."
"But to be honest, the wicket so far has been dry, and it's actually spun a little bit. So that brings Washington into the game. It brings Jadeja into the game. So Kuldeep, we are trying to find a way for him, but it is just more that consistent runs from our top six that we want so that we can bring a guy like Kuldeep in."