Shubman Gill explains decision to leave out Kuldeep Yadav in England ODI series

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India captain Shubman Gill opened up on one of the most talked-about selection decisions from the recently concluded ODI series against England after Kuldeep Yadav remained on the bench throughout all three matches. The left-arm wrist-spinner’s absence sparked widespread debate, particularly after England posted a massive total in the series decider at Lord’s.

Speaking after India’s defeat in the third ODI, Gill explained the team’s thought process behind opting for an extra pace option instead of including Kuldeep. He also admitted that, in hindsight, the conditions changed as the match progressed and reflected on the inexperience of India’s bowling attack.

Addressing the media after the match, Gill said the team management believed the pitches in the first two ODIs, along with the Lord’s surface during England’s innings, offered very little assistance to spin bowlers. According to the India skipper, the fast bowlers looked more likely to create chances with the new ball, which influenced the decision to stick with a pace-heavy attack. However, Gill admitted the surface slowed down considerably in the second innings, making spin more effective than initially expected.

“The matches that we played before this, we had seen the wickets were not offering that much to the spinners. Whenever spinners came to bowl, we felt that we kind of had to go into defensive mode. Whenever the fast bowlers were bowling, it felt like something was happening. And that was the thought process behind not bringing in an extra spinner. Maybe in hindsight, looking at the wicket, I think it got a little bit slow. When we were bowling and when Axar bhai was bowling for us, it didn’t look like the wicket would get that slow, but when they came to bowl, it did look like the wicket got a bit slower as the game went on” Gill said.

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India’s bowlers struggled to contain England’s batting lineup as the hosts piled up 388 runs, leaving the visitors with a daunting chase. Gill acknowledged that his side lacked experience in the bowling department, especially with senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah unavailable. The captain backed youngsters such as Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav despite a difficult outing, stating that they are still learning at the highest level.

“Our bowling is a little thin on experience, and I think we were put under the pump in this match and didn’t respond well. We didn’t start off well in the powerplay. We gave away too many loose balls, and then we were always kind of chasing the game, trying to take wickets, create something, that shouldn’t happen for us,” Gill said.

Kuldeep’s omission remained one of the biggest talking points of the series, with many believing his wicket-taking ability through the middle overs could have provided India with a different option. Nevertheless, Gill made it clear that the decision was based on the conditions the team expected before the match rather than the outcome that eventually unfolded.

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