Dhaka, December 22: Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was on Thursday (December 22) dropped by India for the second Test against Bangladesh despite match-winning performance in the first Test, leaving fans furious with the decision.
Kuldeep, who made a grand return to the Test team after a year, earning a man of the match award for his 8 wickets, including a five-wicket haul, in the 188-run win in the first Test at Chattogram last week.
But the wrist-spinner was replaced by pacer Jaydev Unadkat in the playing eleven for the second Test in Mirpur, leaving the cricket world and fans puzzled and furious with the decision.
While skipper KL Rahul said that it was an "unfortunate" decision to leave the spinner out at the toss, former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar fired at the team management for taking the call.
"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 was quoted as saying to 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," he added.
Meanwhile, fans and other experts also took shots at the team management over the call on Social Media. Here are some of the reactions to Kuldeep Yadav being dropped:
Also the way the Bangladeshis struggled to pick #KuldeepYadav in the last test, makes this decision to leave him out today even more senseless and defies cricketing logic. You want your match-winner to warm the benches? What are u guys upto? Seriously #DoddaMathu #CricketTwitter
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) December 22, 2022
Rewarding domestic red ball performances is crucial. Congratulations to Jaydev Unadkat .. But really feel for Kuldeep Yadav. An extra seamer is understandable but to drop someone who’s put in such a strong show on comeback in the previous test.. Phew! #BanvInd
— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) December 22, 2022
Make no mistake... Not selecting Kuldeep Yadav, who scored valuable 40 runs and 8 wickets in the first Test match is the most bizarre selection 🙏#KuldeepYadav pic.twitter.com/mfxBt38Q2Y
— Akshara (@Akshacriccrazy) December 22, 2022
2019 - Kuldeep Yadav picks a fifer at SCG
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) December 22, 2022
Doesn't play another Test match for the next two years.
2022 - Kuldeep Yadav registers his best bowling figures in Tests
Dropped for the next Test.
Player of the match Kuldeep Yadav has no place in 2nd Test Match..
— Ashutosh Srivastava 🇮🇳 (@sri_ashutosh08) December 22, 2022
My reaction after seen KL Rahul and Rahul Dravid sir decision😥..#INDvBAN #kuldeepyadav #KLRahul #TestCricket #RahulDravid pic.twitter.com/CjCr5V0NDx
Has the team management gone bonkers?? Leaving #KuldeepYadav is like dropping Virat Kohli in his prime to make way for Sarfaraz Khan; will they do that in future tests? This is the difference between MSD and other skips. The former never applied unnecessary changes.
— Ishaan Garg (@ishaan167) December 22, 2022