Shastri said Kuldeep Yadav is the no. 1 pick overseas while MSK Prasad insists Ravichandran Ashwin is still India's top spinner.
India have always boasted of having one frontline spinner in the line-up who can spin webs around opposition batsmen. For years now Ravichandran Ashwin has fulfilled that role picking up 342 wickets from 65 Tests along the way. However, in a recent interview with Cricbuzz, India coach Ravi Shastri made a statement that going forward in Test cricket, wrist spinners will be in vogue. Going further, he stated that Kuldeep Yadav is already ahead of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the pecking order as India's no. 1 overseas spinner.
"He plays overseas Test cricket and he gets five wickets, so he becomes our primary overseas spinner. Going ahead, if we have to play one spinner, he is the one we will pick," Shastri told Cricbuzz.
However, in an interview with Sportstar, chief selector MSK Prasad insisted that Ashwin continues to be India’s no. 1 option in Test cricket.
"Undoubtedly. There are no two ways about it. Ashwin is our No. 1 spinner and he is one of the best spinners in the world. In fact, every country we play, they always plan against Ashwin first compared to other spinners. He is our premier spinner," he said.
The Ashwin-Kuldeep conundrum will continue to trouble selectors as they grapple with the problem of plenty when it comes to India’s spin options. Both men are incredibly effective spinners in their own right. While Ashwin boasts of a tried and proven track record having picked up 342 scalps in just 65 Tests, yet Kuldeep is quickly making a case for taking up the frontline spinners spot.
Kuldeep has played just 6 Tests so far picking up 24 wickets. He however impressed during his maiden Test Down Under in the recently concluded series where he finished with 5/99 at Sydney. It was this performance which prompted Shastri to hail Kuldeep as India’s no. 1 spin option.
Ashwin has struggled with injuries in 2018 which have ruled him out of matches during India’s tour of England and Australia. His troubles with injuries also led to a difference with opinion with skipper Virat Kohli who felt that Ashwin’s injuries are a “cause of concern” and that he should focus on “correcting” these issues with the off-spinner replying that “Injury is not something you can hold up against a certain player.”
However, Kuldeep has benefitted from Ashwin's absence, impressing when handed the opportunity on Australian soil.
