Kuldeep didn't perform as expected but I'll still play him in 2nd Test, says Venkatesh Prasad

India won the opening Test at Galle International Stadium by 165 runs, taking a 1–0 lead in the two-match series against Sri Lanka. The match concluded on Wednesday, August 19, with Manav Suthar claiming 10 wickets in the match. However, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav's performance in the opening Test was not as effective as expected, with his bowling described as quite flat and failing to extract much from the abrasive deck at Galle.

Venkatesh Prasad, the former India pacer, has publicly backed Kuldeep to retain his place in the playing eleven for the second and final Test. Prasad addressed the team management and captain directly, emphasising the importance of supporting the spinner despite his subdued showing in the first match.

"It is important to address Kuldeep Yadav as team management and as a captain. And I would say, Kuldeep, please don't worry, you're going to play the next Test match as well. There is Saransh Jain in the team as an off-spinner, and there are a lot of left-handers batting for Sri Lanka. It's probably an easy choice to get Saransh for the next Test match, but I would say no, and I'm going to give him another opportunity," Prasad said during a discussion on Sony Sports.

Prasad elaborated on his reasoning for retaining the left-arm wrist spinner despite the underwhelming display in the first Test. He acknowledged that Kuldeep's performance fell short of expectations but stressed the need to maintain faith in the player during a challenging phase. While playing off-spinner Saransh Jain could be a tactical option against Sri Lanka's left-handed batters, Prasad believed the team should prioritise building confidence in Kuldeep rather than making a reactive change.

"Kuldeep didn't perform as expected, and it's easy to say OK, let's get Saransh, who's an off-spinner, but I would still go with Kuldeep. I think this is how we need to sort of give confidence to the players." Prasad said.

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Kuldeep showed slow progress during the opening Test and will hope for a return towards better rhythm in the second match. The left-arm wrist spinner has the opportunity to respond to the challenge in the upcoming Test as India prepares for the final match of the series against Sri Lanka.