WI vs IND: India could’ve played Kuldeep Yadav on such a pitch, says Aakash Chopra ahead of Day 4 in 2nd Test

By India Today Sports Desk: Former India batter Aakash Chopra has said that India could have played spinner Kuldeep Yadav on such a pitch. India is facing the West Indies in the second Test of their two-match series at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.

India’s tour of West Indies: Full Coverage

Speaking on his Youtube channel, Chopra said this was not the pitch to play three fast-bowlers. West Indies have scored 229 for 5 at the end of Day 3 at Port of Spain.

“Mukesh Kumar got his first wicket, which was very good because the first wicket is important. You got disciplined bowling from Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj – everyone. One thing was definitely there that this was not the pitch where you should have probably played three fast bowlers,” said Chopra.

He went on to say that India could have played Kuldeep in the second Test given the way the pitch has been behaving. Kuldeep has picked 34 wickets in eight Test matches for India.

“India should have played Axar Patel here and if you had a bowler named Kuldeep Yadav in your squad, you could have played him on such pitches. When the pitch is more dead, a wrist-spinner can do a better job than a finger-spinner,” Chopra added.

The day began with debutant Kirk McKenzie leading the charge for the West Indies. He managed to score 32 off 57 before falling prey to Mukesh Kumar, who claimed his maiden international wicket. However, the celebration was short-lived as rain started pouring down, causing a pause in play. Despite the intermittent showers, the West Indies managed to reach 117/2 by lunch, still trailing India by 321 runs.

Post-lunch, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell after a resilient knock of 75 off 235 balls. The West Indies continued their slow but steady approach, making the Indian bowlers work hard for their wickets. Jadeja managed to claim two more wickets, bringing the West Indies’ score to 229/5. Mohammed Siraj also claimed his first wicket of the match before another spell of rain interrupted the proceedings.

Despite the weather disruptions, the West Indies showed commendable resilience. Their slow run rate and dogged determination made it clear that they were playing for survival. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the debutant McKenzie’s performance and Captain Brathwaite’s patient knock.

However, the Indian bowlers, especially Jadeja and Siraj, deserve credit for their disciplined bowling. They managed to keep the run rate in check and took crucial wickets, keeping India in a dominant position. As the day ended, the West Indies were still trailing by 209 runs.