India batting coach on whether Kuldeep would have played if he was fit: ‘Not relevant’
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak addressed the debate over Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion from the second Test match's playing XI. Kuldeep was replaced by Saransh Jain due to a viral illness, which ruled him out of the match. Kotak dismissed concerns about fitness issues, stating that if Kuldeep wasn't fit, it wouldn't matter whether he played or not.
India's strategy of opting for an off-spinner against Sri Lanka's left-handed top order made sense with Kuldeep absent. Kotak praised Devdutt Padikkal's performance, noting his good temperament and strike rate, and expressed happiness at his readiness to take his chance. He also highlighted Padikkal's potential to play at number three, alongside the young batsman Sai Sudharsan, who both showed promising form.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
