Former India left-arm pacer Pragyan Ojha has reflected on the omission of chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav from Virat Kohli's side playing XI for the Day-Night Test match against Australia from Thursday.
In an exclusive interview with Sports Today, the 34-year-old reckoned that only factor which went in the favour of Kuldeep was his performance with the Pink-ball in the Duleep Trophy. Pragyan Ojha recalled that batsmen then have told him that Kuldeep was "difficult" to pick during the twilight period of 40-45 minutes, when artificial lights take over the natural ones. Pragyan, who himself played 24 Tests in his international career, added that reading the chinaman bowlers and leg-spinners in a Day-Night Test was difficult.
"Only thing which goes in favour of Kuldeep Yadav is when we were playing Duleep Trophy, the first pink-ball domestic tournament that we played, all the batsmen that I spoke to and especially during the twilight found it very difficult to pick the ball from his hands.
Because of you know the natural light was going down and the artificial light was coming. That is the time when even Ajinkya Rahane said that all batsmen need to be switched on. Those 40-45 minutes are very important. That’s when Kuldeep used to pick wickets. And chinaman bowlers or leg spinners are a little difficult to pick," Pragyan Ojha told India Today journalist Rajarsh Gupta.
Further, Pragyan praised Ravichandran Ashwin, India's spinner for the Pink-ball Test, saying that he could be lethal and keep things very tight like his Australian counterpart Nathan Lyon.
"However, saying that Ashwin is our No. 1 spinner. Ashwin can be lethal and he keeps things very tight, so does Nathan Lyon. I feel we have 3 fast bowlers who are very attacking."
Umesh can fill in for the services of experienced Ishant with his good show Down Under
The Bhubaneswar-born also talked briefly about Umesh Yadav, India's third pacer in the Pink-ball. Ojha noted that, with India missing the services of experienced Ishant Sharma, the the time was right for Umesh Yadav to step up and bowl "those lethal lines".
"Umesh Yadav has picked up wickets and he has done the difficult part and he has picked up wickets. We have two exceptional bowlers in Mohammad Shami and Bumrah who are doing very well. But when you look at Umesh he has picked up wickets. But in Australia I feel if he starts performing it will be good for him. He is a senior bowler and this is the 3rd or 4th time he is traveling to Australia and with his experience and if he starts bowling those lethal lines that he will be someone who can take the place of Ishant Sharma," Pragyan Ojha stated.