Mohammad Kaif believes that either Harshit Rana or Nitish Kumar Reddy should feature in the playing XI for the Indian cricket team, adding that not playing Kuldeep Yadav is a ‘clear injustice’. India lost the second ODI encounter against Australia by two wickets and conceded an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Kaif said that Harshit does not have a ‘strength delivery’ that can help the team in tough situations. He also criticised the team management’s decision to not play Kuldeep as the specialist spinner in the first two matches in the ongoing ODI series.
“I’m following Harshit Rana a lot, but he does not have a strength delivery. It’s not like he has a solid outswinger or an inswinger. When we speak about Siraj or Bumrah, they have their strengths, like their yorkers, pace, or slower ones. But I can’t figure out what Harshit Rana’s strength is. It’s not like he bowls over 140. Play either one of Rana or Reddy, because both of them can’t play together. Kuldeep Yadav sitting out for this is a clear injustice,” Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“When the required rate is 9 or 10 runs per over, there Harshit Rana is effective because his strength is change of pace. But when batters are playing like Test cricket when the required rate is around 5 or 6 runs per over, the bowler has to bring more skills to outfox the batter when he is playing in 3rd gear.”
Kaif cited Australia spinner Adam Zampa‘s example while making a case for Kuldeep’s inclusion in the team. Zampa took four wickets for the hosts and Kaif pointed out that if he can change the game, a bowler of Kuldeep’s calibre would have largely benefitted from the surface in Adelaide.
“If Kuldeep was in the team, I guarantee you 100 percent that India would have won this game. When Zampa can come in and change the game by dismissing some big names, when there was grip and turn from the surface, then think what Kuldeep could have done against this inexperienced Australian middle order. This is a do-or-die match, you are not playing him, and Zampa, who was not even there in the last match, returned and took the man of the match. Kuldeep Yadav is a thousand times better bowler than Adam Zampa,” Kaif concluded.
