Team India chinman bowler Kuldeep Yadav claimed only one wicket in the 165-run win over Sri Lanka in the 1st Test at Galle earlier this week.
Published: August 21, 2026, 10:05 AM IST
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Kuldeep Yadav bowled only 25 overs in entire 1st Test vs Sri Lanka at Galle(Photo: IANS)
IND vs SL 2026 2nd Test: Kuldeep Yadav has only played in 19 Tests in his career since his debut more than nine years backNow one match into the two-Test series against Sri Lanka and even after winning the first game by a massive 165-run margin at Galle, Kuldeep Yadav’s berth is once again in question.
The 31-year-old chinaman bowler is facing the heat heading into the second Test at the Sinhalese Sport Club (SSC) ground in Colombo from SundayKuldeep is under pressure to retain his place in the playing 11 with left-arm spinner Manav Suthar claiming a 10-wicket haul in only his 2nd appearance in Test cricket.
The left-arm wrist spinner, who will be turning out for Lucknow Super Giants from IPL 2027 after his trade from Delhi Capitals, has managed to pick up only 4 wickets in 2 Tests in 2026 so farOn a turning track in Galle, he ended up pick up only 1 wicket while bowling only 25 overs in the entire game – 14 in first innings and 11 in the second.
Former Sri Lanka batter Russel Arnold, however, believes that it is natural for one spinner to be under-bowled when the home team were bowled out so quickly and with India having three slow bowlers in their ranks.
Arnold, speaking to select media ahead of 2nd Test in Colombo, admitted that Kuldeep Yadav will be under pressure in a question posed by India.com.
“Of course, you will feel the pressureEven as individuals, when you don’t perform, you are critical of yourselfSo he will be carrying some baggage and it’s harder for him, because he’s watched the other two spinners go and bowl and pick up wickets,” Russel Arnold told India.com about Kuldeep Yadav in an exclusive interaction.
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The 52-year-old former Lankan batter turned out in 44 Tests and 180 ODI matches in international cricketHe scored 1821 Test runs at an average of 28.01 and 3950 runs in ODIs at an average of 35.26.
Arnold believes that Indian captain Shubman Gill made the right choice by selecting Kuldeep Yadav, who has claimed 80 wickets in only 19 Tests at an average of 23.36, for Galle Test“The captain needs controlA wrist spinner, you expect him to go for a few more runs and in Galle, it was the right decision to go in with two finger spinnersIf things get tougher, then you have the variety of KuldeepAny captain would think that way,” Arnold said.
“India bowled out Sri Lanka very quickly in both innings, so there were no long spells on offerWhen you go in with three spinners, one spinner is always going to be unhappy,” he added.
The former Lankan southpaw believes the pressure will be on Kuldeep Yadav in Colombo but wasn’t sure that off-spinner Saransh Jain will make it to the playing 11“Kuldeep is a senior player and he has been around for a long timeHe’s a match-winner and hence the pressure is on himI don’t see it as a concern.
“Sarash Jain is an off-spinner and it will be interesting if India want that varietyIt will depend upon the pitch at the SSC in ColomboIf the pitch is flatter and stays truer for longer period, then you will need Kuldeep and his variations to pick up wickets,” Arnold felt.
‘India can afford to carry Yashasvi Jaiswal’
Apart from Kuldeep Yadav another Indian player struggling for form has been opener Yashasvi JaiswalAfter a sensational start to international cricket, Jaiswal has only managed one fifty in his last 8 Test innings.
While his opening partner KL Rahul notched up 82 in the first innings of the Galle, Jaiswal only had scores of 32 and 0But Arnold believes with other Indian batters like Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in form, Indians can afford to ‘carry’ an out-of-form Jaiswal for some more time.
“If he (Yashasvi Jaiswal) is having a dip in form, India can carry him because the others are performingAnd as we discussed earlier, Sri Lanka really didn’t push IndiaBut then, on the other hand, India is a place where you have some quality players, whoever comes in performs, there are many others knocking on the door,” Arnold said about Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“But is it a concern? Not reallyI think he is a quality player and sometimes you go through these ups and downs,” Arnold added.
Asked about possible changes in the Lanka playing 11 with star batter Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal ruled out, Arnold said, “Well, for Sri Lanka to make changes, again, the pitch plays a partThe only change I can see is whether they go in with one seamer, leave Lahiru Kumara out and bring Ramesh Mendis in so that the two spinners can bowl in shorter spells and stay fresh.”
(Watch Sri Lanka vsIndia 2nd Test Day 1 on August 23, 2026, from 10 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) and Sony LIV)
