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'Didn't know how to console him, I myself was in tears': Kuldeep's childhood coach says dropping spinner was 'not right'
Kuldeep Yadav was dropped for the second Test against Bangladesh despite delivering a player of the match performance in the first.
India may have wrapped up a 2-0 Test series win in Bangladesh but their surprising decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test continues to be a topic of debate. This is especially after India just about escaped a first-ever Test defeat to Bangladesh in the second match. Kuldeep had been player of the match after taking eight wickets in the first Test, aside from scoring a crucial 40 off 114 balls in India's first innings.
However, it was Kuldeep himself who got dropped in favour of the extra pace option provided by Jaydev Unadkat. The decision led to a wave of criticism from a number of former players that continued throughout the match despite India's win and Unadkat taking three wickets. Now, Kuldeep's childhood coach Kapil Pandey has said that while he understands that the captain and the head coach have to make decisions keeping the best interests of the team in mind, he couldn't see the logic behind dropping a player who was the match winner in just the previous match.
"We all want Team India to win and that’s the ultimate goal. I completely understand that the captain and coach try and make a combination to help the team win. But then it is not right to keep one of your match-winners on the bench. How long will this continue? No Indian would want the Indian team to lose. But at the same time, a player who has done well in the little chances that he received deserves a longer rope," Pandey is quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.
Pandey, however, said that Kuldeep took the drop in a positive way. "Kuldeep has become a lot more patient with time. Initially, I used to worry a lot about this kid when he didn’t used to get the deserved chances. He has two ODI hattricks, one hattrick for India A and also one more in the U19 World Cup. Despite being the Man of the Match, when he was dropped in the second Test, I didn’t know how to console him because I myself was in tears. But the way he told me to stay patient and keep faith that things will work out eventually, shows how matured he has become," he said.
"He has understood that he needs to focus on the process and not worry about something that isn’t in his control. I am sure he will do well, and the patience that he has developed will help him make a strong comeback."
