There was a big surprise when India named their playing XI for the first Test match against England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Axar Patel was expected to play in Chennai but was ruled out after he picked up an injury. So naturally, people expected India to play Kuldeep Yadav on a spinning track at the Chepauk.
But the team management decided to name Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar in the squad instead of Kuldeep. Nadeem and Rahul Chahar were added to the squad after all-rounder Axar was ruled out of the first Test of the four-match series against England. The KKR spinner's non-selection has become a hot topic among former cricketers and fans on Friday.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Friday said that not picking left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI for the first Test was a "ridiculous decision" from India.
Vaughan questioned the decision of not picking the left-arm spinner and said if Kuldeep will not play in India then where will he play.
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"Ridiculous decision by #India not to play @imkuldeep18!!! If he isn't going to play at home with the injuries they have when is he going to play !!! #INDvENG," Vaughan tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}"Ridiculous decision by #India not to play @imkuldeep18!!! If he isn't going to play at home with the injuries they have when is he going to play !!! #INDvENG," Vaughan tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, England batsman Dom Sibley and skipper Joe Root have taken the visitors to a solid position after losing two quick wickets in the first session on day one of the opening Test.
In the second session, visitors did not lose any wickets and added 73 runs. Indian bowlers tried to break the ongoing third-wicket partnership between Sibley and Root but failed to do so.
Indian bowlers, including Ishant Sharma, Bumrah, and Nadeem, failed to find a rhythm as they bowled three no-balls each while going for wickets.
Earlier in the day, India didn't have a good start in the first Test. But in the 24th over, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin brought the hosts back in the game and scalped Burns, who played a knock of 33 runs. Bumrah then sent Dan Lawrence back to the pavilion on a duck.
(with ANI inputs)