A major talking point in Colombo, even before a ball was bowled in the second Test, was the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav from India’s playing XI. The left-arm wristspinner was replaced by Saransh Jain, with the BCCI later confirming that Kuldeep had been ruled out after contracting a viral illness.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak clarified that Kuldeep’s omission was purely down to illness and dismissed suggestions that there were any wider fitness concerns surrounding the spinner.
“I don’t think that is a relevant question (On whether Kuldeep had played if he was fully fit). Because if he is not fit, how will he think if he plays or not? And genuinely, he had a viral when we left Galle. Because it’s not like that. If the team needs an off-spinner and he doesn’t play, there is no need to say he wasn’t well. But when the guy is not in a position to play, there is no point in thinking about whether he was fit or not. It would be very unfair to think that,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Kotak added that although Kuldeep had recovered well since leaving Galle, his unavailability also affected India’s team combination, with the visitors opting for an off-spinner against a Sri Lankan top order featuring four left-handers.
“When we left, he had a sore throat and then a viral. I think he has recovered reasonably well. He looked good when I met him in the evening, and so obviously he wasn’t available for the match. So then it comes to whether we go with three fast bowlers or three spinners. And with them having four left-handers in the top order, it probably makes sense to play an off-spinner,” he added.
Kotak was full of praise for Devdutt Padikkal, who registered his second successive Test hundred, saying that he had made the most of the chance that had come his way in Sai Sudharsan’s absence.
“I think Devdutt again batted really well. Shown great temperament. He made the most out of the opportunity he has got. So, really happy for him.”
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“For me, the intent is on, the temperament is on and with the pace he batted as well, he batted with a very good strike rate. So, the way he batted is a really, really good sign for us. And, like I said last time when I came as well, he has been waiting for his turn for the last year, year and a half, or maybe two years. I am so happy with the way he prepared when he got that opportunity because Sai had an injury, he made the most out of it. So, really happy for him,” Kotak said.
On whether Padikkal had made the No. 3 position his own, Kotak pointed to Sudharsan’s impressive returns before injury ruled him out.
“I think he batted really well at number three. But I feel even Sai Sudharsan batted really well at number three. He got out on 90 and 85 or something like that. But Devdutt obviously converted into hundreds. Both are young batters, and they batted well. So they can open; they can also go at three also. The way Devdutt bats, in the past he can bat at five also. So it’s not — it’s more promising for us, the way he approached the game and he delivered when the team needed him to play and score runs.”
“So that’s a big positive. Number three, obviously, he is batting well, and he may continue at that number. But for me, that is not something that is very exciting- that at number three he has scored runs, he added.
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Kotak also addressed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brief confrontation with Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando after the opener was dismissed for 45, describing it as a heat-of-the-moment incident while suggesting Jaiswal could have handled it better.
I think maybe one of the bowlers may have commented something, and it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. Obviously, Jaiswal, I don’t think he should have gone so close, but that happens in the heat of the moment,” he said.
