Sunil Gavaskar has expressed strong disapproval over the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI for the second Test against England, directly criticizing the team management led by Gautam Gambhir. The legendary cricketer believes that the Birmingham pitch would have offered assistance to a wrist spinner like Kuldeep. Gavaskar's comments highlight a difference in opinion regarding team composition, particularly the balance between batting depth and bowling attack.

Gavaskar suggested that Kuldeep Yadav should have replaced Shardul Thakur in the lineup. He argued that prioritizing batting depth at the expense of a genuine wicket-taking option like Kuldeep could be detrimental. Other former cricketers, including Saba Karim, Harbhajan Singh, and Navjot Singh Sidhu, echoed Gavaskar's sentiment, emphasizing the potential of Kuldeep Yadav to be a game-changer. They believe Kuldeep's inclusion would provide captain Shubman Gill with a valuable wicket-taking option.

The context of this criticism arises from India's defeat in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. Despite a strong batting performance in the first innings, the Indian bowlers, with the exception of Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to contain the England batsmen, leading to a five-wicket defeat. This has led to scrutiny of the team's selection choices, especially the inclusion of Shardul Thakur, ostensibly to bolster the batting lineup.

Gavaskar has a history of strong opinions on team selections. For instance, he initially questioned the inclusion of Washington Sundar over Kuldeep Yadav in a Test match against New Zealand, expressing concern that it reflected a lack of confidence in the batting lineup. However, when Sundar took 7 wickets, Gavaskar reversed his assessment, calling it an "inspired selection". Earlier, Gavaskar had even said that he would pick Ravi Bishnoi over Kuldeep Yadav for the T20 World Cup because Bishnoi is a better fielder and can bat.

Gavaskar has also offered guidance and praise to young players like Nitish Kumar Reddy. Following Reddy's maiden Test century, Gavaskar lauded him as a "star of Indian cricket" and gave him a standing ovation. He also cautioned Reddy to remain humble and dedicated to the sport. Gavaskar has even stated that Nitish Reddy is a better batter than Hardik Pandya in Test cricket. He noted Reddy's ability to read situations and his significant contribution under pressure, particularly his century in Melbourne.

Gavaskar's recent criticism of Kuldeep Yadav's omission underscores his belief in the importance of wrist-spin and the need for a balanced team composition. He emphasized that a wrist spinner is not reliant on the pitch to get the ball to spin and that Kuldeep's variations make him a tricky customer to deal with. Gavaskar's viewpoints carry considerable weight in Indian cricket, and his recent remarks are likely to fuel further debate about the optimal composition of the Indian Test team.