Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav? Rohit Sharma Makes His Choice Ahead of 1st IND vs ENG Test

India and England are gearing up for the opening test of their five-match series set to take place on Thursday, January 25, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.

As the series opener approaches, Team India‘s major conundrum revolves around choosing between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav for the crucial role of the third spinner in the team.

Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, has provided a subtle clue regarding the player who is likely to be picked in the playing 11 for the first test against England in the press conference held on Wednesday.

While acknowledging Kuldeep Yadav‘s mature bowling, Rohit Sharma highlights Axar Patel‘s superior batting skills as the factor giving him the edge over Kuldeep Yadav.

Here’s what the Indian captain Rohit Sharma said in the press conference:

“Kuldeep gives you a certain X-Factor with his bowling. He has been bowling well of late. Kuldeep becomes a crucial player if the wicket has bounce or doesn’t have bounce. He has become a mature bowler now. Kuldeep has improved in the last couple of years. He is a tempting option.”

“Axar, he gives us something extra with the bat. It was a headache for us to pick one of them in the XI. But we know we have quality in our spin department.”