Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav is the lead specialist spinner selected by the Indian selectors for the series against Sri Lanka. The 31-year-old left-arm wrist spinner has claimed 79 wickets in 18 Tests at an average of 22.35 with 5 five-wicket hauls to his name.
But after claiming 2 for 76 in the first innings of SLC XI in 18 overs on the opening day, Kuldeep didn’t bowl a single over in the second innings on Sunday. But Team India spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule clarified that there were no injury concerns over Kuldeep Yadav and the chinaman bowler was on ‘assessing his body’.
“Kuldeep bowled almost 20 overs in the sense 18 in the match and about two-three overs before the game also. He had a very good outing and he just wanted to take a break in terms of just understanding how his body is at,” Bahutule said at the end of warm-up match in Colombo on Sunday.
Apart from Kuldeep Yadav, the Indian squad have a couple of left-arm spinners in all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar and a off-spinner in Saransh Jain. But apart from Jadeja, other spinners have very little experience in the longest format of the game.
“Manav bowled about 14-15 overs, Jaddu bowled about 14-15 overs. So, they got a very good outing, they understood how the pitch reacts and I think it was a great prep for them,” he said.
Former India leg-spinner Bahutule said that the surface at NCC in Colombo started to offer turn as the match progressed. “The bowlers had a great opportunity to go down and express themselves on a pitch which was slightly on a flatter side in the first day. But as the days went by, there was more turn on to it and definitely a good outing for the spinners,” Bahutule said.
Team India were satisfied with the outcome of the warm-up game as they wanted to get accustomed to conditions in Sri Lanka.
“Most of the guys have come here, experienced guys, Jaddu has already played here. But the new guys like Manav and a few others, Saransh Jain, they need to just adapt to what will be the ideal lines, what will be the ideal lengths and obviously the field sets, which is very much important,” Bahutule felt.
Shubman Gill is absolutely fine: Sairaj Bahutule
Team India captain Shubman Gill chose not to bat in the first innings of the warm-up match after getting hit on the hand in a practice session ahead of the game. But Bahutule revealed that resting Gill was just a ‘precaution’.
“It was just a precaution more than anything else. And he has been absolutely fine. He has been doing his training. And the management decided that we could just take that precaution of not putting him into that first day,” Bahutule said.
“Shubman takes his preparation very seriously. And he is a very meticulous boy. And he understands that whatever is the demand for that particular series with the attack, which has been successful for the Sri Lankan team. His preparation is done accordingly,” he added, praising Gill.
The Indian captain came out to bat in the second innings, chasing 207 to win, and scored 44 off 54 balls to lead the chase in a six-wicket win.