Want To Play More Tests? Robin Uthappa Tells Kuldeep Yadav To Learn From Ashwin

Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has urged Kuldeep Yadav to take inspiration from R Ashwin and work on his batting if he wants to become a regular in India’s Test playing XI. Despite an impressive bowling record (56 wickets in 13 Tests @ 22.16), Kuldeep has struggled to find a place in the red-ball setup since his debut in 2017.

In home conditions, the Indian team has preferred Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel due to their contributions with the bat. Even after Ashwin’s retirement, Washington Sundar has seamlessly filled the void, offering more balance with his all-round abilities. 

Kuldeep, who has a first-class century to his name, has managed only 199 runs in 13 Tests at a modest average of 13.26 and this has worked against him in team selection. During the recently concluded Test series in England, he didn’t feature in any of the five matches, with the Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill-led management opting for Washington and Jadeja in the XI.

“Put Kuldeep in the 11 and make sure your batting is still in a state where none of the fans will go after the team management or the captain. With all due respect to Kuldeep's prowess with the ball, he's got limitations to his batting. That's going to take a lot of effort from his side,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.

“Ashwin has got five or six Test hundreds. If Kuldeep can do that at number eight or nine, then he will certainly play more Tests.”

The England series also marked Gill’s first stint as India’s Test captain. The 26-year-old led from the front, scoring a staggering 754 runs at an average of 75.40. “We've seen Shubman's captaincy in this series, good at times and passive at others. Tactically, he will grow. As a leader, he is coming into his own since leading Gujarat Titans.”

India are set to return to Test cricket later this year, hosting West Indies for two matches in October, followed by a two-Test series against South Africa in November.