India vs Australia, 4th Test: Kuldeep Yadav fails to make it to India XI in Gabba Test, Twitterati surprised

New Delhi, January 15: Team India made four forced changes to their Playing XI in the fourth Test match against Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane on Friday (January 15). Captain Ajinkya Rahane and team management - which has been ravaged by injuries - stunned all by preferring off-spinner Washington Sundar over chinaman Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI.

Kuldeep Yadav was looking the first-choice spinner in the absence of injured Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, but the team management went with an inexperienced Sundar.

Kuldeep - who has been deemed as India's first-choice spinner in Tests after Ashwin and Jadeja by India head coach Ravi Shastri in the past - not being able to make it to the playing eleven against the Aussies stunned the fans. India fielded an inexperienced pace bowling attack comprising Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, and Navdeep Saini. Paceman Natarajan came in for Jasprit Bumrah, who suffered an abdomen injury, while Sundar was a replacement for Ravindra Jadeja, who was ruled out of the Test because of a dislocated thumb.

India also made another two changes as Shardul Thakur replaced R Ashwin, who has been sidelined through a back niggle and Mayank Agarwal walked in for Hanuma Vihari, who is sitting out with a calf injury.

Natarajan also became the only Indian player to make international debut in all three formats in the same tour. The left-arm pacer had made his T20I and ODI debuts earlier on this tour in December 2020. Natarajan became the 300th Test player of India, while Sundar became the 301st. Bowling coach Bharath Arun handed over the India cap to Natarajan, while Ashwin did the honours for Sundar.

Kuldeep - who picked up a fifer in the last match in Australia on the previous tour in 2018-19 series - didn't get any chance in the series.

The fans took to their respective Twitter handles to question the team management's decision of playing eleven:

Always would love Kuldeep to play. Maybe the Indian selectors think that he wont get the bounce surface that a spinner needs off this surface. #IndvAus https://t.co/0fXaHfqFel

— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg) January 15, 2021

Just wonder if India could have played Kuldeep Yadav for one of the quicks.....

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 15, 2021

Kuldeep would have bowled hundreds of overs too !!!

— Jatin Paranjape (@jats72) January 15, 2021

Whoa....India has fielded five bowlers again. No Ashwin-No Bumrah but still thinking 20 wickets. Brave team this is. Sundar-Natarajan to debut. No Saha....no Kuldeep. #AusvInd

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 14, 2021

After all what was spoken in Feb, 2019, kuldeep yadav has not played a single match. This is astonishing and purely baffling.#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/KjYdJZ4Jvl

— Shashank Satyam (@ShashankSatyam0) January 15, 2021

So, no Ishant, no Bumrah, no Shami, no Yadav, no Ashwin, no Jadeja. Siraj with 2 tests behind him is the most experienced Indian bowler. Total experience Siraj (2), Saini (1), Shardul (11 balls). This is surreal and unprecedented

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 14, 2021

If Kuldeep can't find a spot in this Indian team then there's only one team that can revive him in IPL.

— Heisenberg☢ (@internetumpire) January 15, 2021

Don’t think it’s the end of the road for Kuldeep. I think because the pace attack has so many new faces they wanted an element that can tie up an end + Washington can bat. He’s kind of a Jadeja replacement. Natranjan has been chosen because it’s the Gabba 2nd fastest deck in Aus https://t.co/hPI7MWnwcw

— Sahil Mohan Gupta (@DigitallyBones) January 15, 2021

Seriously Sundar got picked instead of kuldeep.. #INDvsAUS

— Rathnakumar RK (@Rathanuday) January 15, 2021

With every passing over it seems Kuldeep should have played here. Anyway, need to buckle up. #INDvsAUS

— Wanderer (@DisDatNothin) January 15, 2021

Kuldeep Yadav has every right to be disappointed for missing out: Parthiv Patel via @cricbuzz

— Abhishek Nigam (@Deepamrocker) January 15, 2021

Most unlucky player to play the game of cricket is unarguably Kuldeep Yadav

Averages 13 in T20is Took 2 wickets in last t20i innings got dropped after it

Averages 24 in tests took Fifer in last test innings(Sydney test 2019) got dropped from squad after it#GabbaTest #AUSvIND

— Gill’s Backfoot Punch (@Aryan__Jagtap) January 15, 2021