Kuldeep Yadav's coach lashes out at Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri for exclusion from Indian Test side

After Axar Patel was injured and ruled out of the first Test against England in Chennai, all thought it was finally a chance for Kuldeep Yadav to be added to the playing XI. However, instead of the chinaman spinner, Shahbaz Nadeem was taken as the other spin bowler.

Seeing how the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowler is not getting a chance, Kuldeep Yadav's childhood coach Kapil Pandey lashed out at the Indian team management. 

Pandey, who has been coaching Kuldeep for the past 17 years, believes that the spinner is being treated unfairly and should have been included in the playing XI.

Kuldeep had last played a Test match for India in January 2019 against Australia in Sydney, and during this year's series Down Under, he was left to warm the bench for all four games.

Kuldeep was expected to make his comeback in the ongoing series-opener against England but he was overlooked once again.

The bowler's coach has now questioned head coach Ravi Shastri and Indian captain Virat Kohli over the spinner's non-selection.

"Since the team management has not been giving Kuldeep Yadav a chance for a long time, pressure will automatically mount on him. Everybody should be given equal chance, Washington Sundar is being given chances to prove himself, [Shahbaz] Nadeem has been given two chances, so why not Kuldeep Yadav? He has taken five wickets in his last Test innings in Australia, shouldn't he be given a chance?," Pandey was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.

Pandey added that Kuldeep could have had 50 Tests under his belt and at least 200 wickets to his name, had he played for some other country. 

With Ravindra Jadeja out due to injury, Kuldeep seemed to be an obvious choice, but the team management's decision to include Nadeem surprised fans and critics.

"Now I am feeling bad because neither Jadeja is fit nor are India playing overseas. Had Kuldeep Yadav been playing for some other country, he would have had at least 50 Tests and 200 wickets under his belt now. But the thing is he is playing in India where anything anywhere is justified. If there can be a farmer's protest, there can be unrest anywhere in the country," said Pandey.

As for the clash, when it came to spin bowlers, barring local boy Ashwin, none of them managed to impress. Nadeem did pick 4 wickets across two innings while Sundar remained wicket-less. India faced a big defeat in the first Test as they were made to chase 420-runs in their second innings.