'You can’t be doing this to him again and again' - Twitter disappointed as India rest Kuldeep Yadav for second Test

The decisions taken by the Indian team have been criticized a lot of late, be it the squad selection, or the playing XI for a particular game. Team India is currently in Bangladesh playing a two-match Test series and the audience has gotten another opportunity to be critical of the Indian team after one of their latest decisions.

At the toss of the second game, stand-in skipper KL Rahul revealed that Kuldeep Yadav had been benched as Jaydev Unadkat got a call-up. Kuldeep’s exclusion came as a shocker, given the fact that he picked up eight wickets in the first Test, including a five-wicket haul, and handed India a victory, thereby winning the Player of the Match award.

Kuldeep Yadav was at his best in the first game, where he picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings, and carried the momentum to the second innings by picking up three more wickets. The pitch in Bangladesh has been supportive of spinners, and the decision of resting the ace spinner and replacing him with a pacer irked the fans.

Unadkat, who led Saurashtra to a title victory at the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this month, has played only one Test to date. The second Test between India and Bangladesh would be his second international outing in the format. He became the Indian player to miss the most number of games- 118, between two appearances.

Unadkat made his Test debut in December 2010 against South Africa at Centurion, and he will now be playing an international Test match after 12 years. The only other player to have missed more Test matches than Unadkat between two appearances is England’s Gareth Batty, who was out for 142 matches between 2005 to 2016.

India named two spinners and three seamers for the game in the form of Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Unadkat. India will be looking for another victory as they aim to bag the crucial points and make their way to the World test Championship finals.

Meanwhile, let us look at how Twitter reacted on Kuldeep Yadav missing out:

Kuldeep benched for the 2nd Test 🤷‍♂️
Yeah…a little bit of grass on the surface but it’s Dhaka. I mean.
Happy for Unadkat though…inspirational story of ‘never give up’. Red ball has given him another chance. Wish you well, bro 🤗 #BanvInd

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 22, 2022

Why does this happen so often to Kuldeep Yadav? You can’t be doing this to him again and again. Please some one put an arm around his shoulder and tell him not to lose heart. Yes. It’s tough being Kuldeep Yadav. Spare a thought for him #DoddaMathu #CricketTwitter

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) December 22, 2022

Kuldeep Yadav - the Player of the Match from Chattogram - isn't featuring in the XI. Triple centurion was dropped from the next Test. Taking hard calls isn't easy but not impossible. Performances > Personnel. Kuldeep looked in rhythm & deserved a consistent run

— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) December 22, 2022

How do u explain the axing of Kuldeep Yadav in this match ?? The guy had his career-best match figures in the previous match and also scored a crucial 40.#INDvBAN #kuldeepyadav #injustice

— Amanpreet Singh (@amanthejourno) December 22, 2022

Happy for @JUnadkat but dropping Kuldeep Yadav, who took 8 wickets in last test, is as strange as it gets. 🤦🏻‍♀️ #INDvBAN

— Karishma Singh (@karishmasingh22) December 22, 2022

As is their wont, Kuldeep Yadav has been dropped yet again - this time after being man of the match last Test. Go figure #IndvsBan

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) December 22, 2022

Story of Kuldeep Yadav: Player of the match in first Test but no place in second Test, feel for him especially after returning to the team after 22 months.

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 22, 2022

Feel for Kuldeep Yadav. Took 8 wickets and scored the crucial 40 runs with the Man Of The Match award, but sits out in the very next match.

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 22, 2022

Don't know whether to feel sorry for Kuldeep Yadav who misses out after an excellent game or to feel happy for Unadkat who is playing a Test after a decade.

— Venkata Krishna B (@venkatatweets) December 22, 2022

Classic! Drop a match-winner like Kuldeep Yadav just because no one could pick him in the last Test! Just who makes these calls? #cricket #BANvIND

— Chandresh Narayanan (@chand2579) December 22, 2022

Wow... wicket that green out there to keep Kuldeep out? Looks overcast certainly.

But wondering if Unadkat is the right choice to go with.

Thoughts?

— KSR (@KShriniwasRao) December 22, 2022

A bowler picks up a five wicket haul in his last Test and then gets dropped for the next. Guess what, the Test match happens to be in Mirpur and the bowler once again happens to be Kuldeep Yadav. @imkuldeep18 #INDvBAN

— Rahul Rawat (@rawatrahul9) December 22, 2022

Sunny Gavaskar upset with Kuldeep Yadav being dropped. Calls the decision 'unbelievable' and then says he want to use a far stronger word. #INDvBAN

— Meha Bhardwaj Alter (@Bhardwajmeha) December 22, 2022

Impossible not to feel for Kuldeep. Impossible not to feel for Jaydev, too. He can pick up all 20 wickets, can strike a run-a-ball 100 while batting and will still not likely play the Australia series.

— Swaroop Swaminathan (@arseinho) December 22, 2022

Indian team to Kuldeep Yadav in 2nd test after being man of the match in 1st testpic.twitter.com/cJr1PJ9ucZ

— J 🇮🇳 (@jaynildave) December 22, 2022