Bangladesh vs India: Sunil Gavaskar slams Team India's 'unbelievable' decision in 2nd Test

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has criticised Indian team management’s decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI for the ongoing second Test match against Bangladesh. Yadav was rewarded with the Player of the Match award for his performance in the first Test which India won by 188 runs. However, India captain KL Rahul decided to include veteran pacer Jaydev Unadkat in the playing XI for the second Test, leaving out the wrist spinner. 

Indian cricket fans slammed the decision to drop Kuldeep as soon as India’s playing XI for the second Test was revealed on Thursday. Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar was one of the top cricketers to react to the news, as he slammed India’s selection for the second Test. Speaking on the official broadcaster of India’s tour of Bangladesh 2022, Gavaskar said it was unbelievable to see the left-arm spinner on the bench. 

'Dropping a Man of the Match, that is unbelievable': Sunil Gavaskar

“Dropping a Man of the Match, that is unbelievable. That’s the only word I can use and it’s a gentle word. I would like to use quite stronger words, but it’s unbelievable that you left out a man of the match, who got eight out of the 20 wickets,” Gavaskar told Sony Sports Network. 

“You have got two other spinners. So surely, one of the other spinners could have been dropped. But this guy, who took eight wickets should have played today with due respect to what the pitch looks like,” the former cricketer added.

India clinched victory in the 1st Test, courtesy of Kuldeep Yadav’s all-round show

Yadav made headlines by registering a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the opening Test, which was the third fifer of his short Test career. He added 40 individual runs in India’s first batting innings and later helped India win the match by returning with three wickets in the fourth innings. Being the pick of the Indian bowlers at Chattogram, Yadav was chosen as the Player of the Match, ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara who scored 90 runs in the first innings and scored a century in the third.