Team India have picked all-rounder Axar Patel over spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the IND vs ENG 1st Test in Hyderabad. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed the Playing XI after being asked to bowl first and admitted that leaving Kuldeep out was a tough call.
“It was a tough one (to leave out Kuldeep Yadav) Axar has done well and bats really well in these conditions. Probably the reason we went with Axar”, Rohit revealed at the toss.
Earlier, Rohit had talked about Axar’s all-round ability in the pre-match conference on Wednesday.
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“Axar, you know, with his all-round ability, gives us that batting depth. The consistency that he’s shown, playing in these conditions in Test cricket, also is an important factor for us”, Rohit had told reporters.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
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