Kuldeep Yadav vs Axar Patel: Who Will Play For India In The 2nd Test vs BAN?

Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel [X/@WisdenCricket,@BCCI]Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel [X/@WisdenCricket,@BCCI]

After defeating Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India is all set to play them in the second game at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. The home team will want to maintain their dominance and pick up another convincing win in this game. 

Ahead of the game, there have been many discussions about the possible combination India will use. Notably, India used three pacers and two spinners in the first Test against Bangladesh. 

But with the surface of Kanpur being discussed for its black soil, India might choose a different combination in this game. 

Why use 3 spinners at Kanpur? Difference from the Chepauk wicket?

The track at Kanpur has traditionally favoured the spinners from early in the game. Being black soil, we can expect it to have less bounce than the Chennai track. As a result, the pacers will not be able to get much from this track. Thus, a three-spinner, two-pacer combination might be ideal for the game. 

The difference of the two wickets at Kanpur

According to reports, two different tracks have been prepared at Green Park Stadium. The ground's curators have also stated that the track will favour both pacers and spinners. However, if we go by the venue's trend, if the surface holds true for the first day, it starts to break by the end of day two. So, it would be a more feasible strategy for India to go with three spinners. 

Why pick Kuldeep Yadav?

  • The Indian left-arm wrist spinner has a lot of variety to trouble the Bangladeshi batters. Besides, with the new zip that Kuldeep Yadav gets with his new bowling action, the opposition batters might struggle to negotiate with him successfully. 
  • The Bangladeshi batters have already played Ravindra Jadeja, so bringing in a similar spinner does not seem like a good plan. On the other hand, Kuldeep, with a different angle for the batters, might cause greater trouble.

Why pick Axar Patel?

  • The presence of Axar Patel will give greater depth to the team's batting lineup. The Indian all-rounder has given examples of his excellent batting skills more than once recently. With Axar coming in at number nine, there will be fewer chances of India suffering any collapse, and they will have a backup if that happens at all. 
  • Axar Patel relies more on varying his length than on trying to turn the ball. He concentrates more or less on bowling at a consistent pace; hence, his skiddy nature might provide extra spice on this track. 

Kuldeep vs Axar: Conlusion

While Axar Patel will provide extra depth in batting, one must agree that Kuldeep Yadav is a good enough batter at number nine. On the other hand, drafting Axar Patel will mean that there will be two similar spinners in the lineup. Hence, adding a bit of variety in the bowling attack with Kuldeep in the lineup is better.