Melbourne, Oct 17: Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has questioned India’s decision to leave out wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the last two T20 Internationals against the West Indies, insisting that the left-armer should be a first-choice bowler across formats.
Kuldeep featured in India’s opening match of the series, returning figures of 2/33, but was left out of the playing XI for the subsequent two games after conceding 53 runs for one wicket in the second T20I at Ranchi, where the West Indies pulled off a record chase of 250.India opted for additional pace in the following matches, with all-rounder Naman Dhir providing the second spin option alongside Axar Patel.However, Clarke believes the team management is overlooking Kuldeep’s ability to take wickets, arguing that the focus in limited-overs cricket should not be restricted to containing runs or chasing whatever total the opposition manages to post.
Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, the former Australia batter said he was surprised that Kuldeep was not India’s preferred spinner.
“I cannot believe he’s not their first-choice spinner. He’s a wicket-taker, and it doesn’t matter the format; you are looking to bowl the opposition out,” Clarke said.He also criticised the tendency of teams to prioritise chasing targets rather than building bowling strategies around dismissing opponents, suggesting that Kuldeep’s attacking approach could make a significant difference in T20 cricket. (Agencies)