Skipper Shubman Gill on Thursday admitted India face a "conflict" over their bowling combination ahead of the first Test against South Africa, with Axar Patel’s all-round ability pitched against Kuldeep Yadav’s strike power.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s preference for batting depth gives Axar an edge, but Kuldeep’s wicket-taking form keeps the debate alive until the morning of the match.
"Yeah, this time of the year, there’s always that conflict -- whether to go for an extra all-rounder or an extra spinner," Gill said. "That's why I said we’ll see the wicket in the morning and decide what combination gives us the best chance to win the Test.”
On the Axar-Kuldeep choice, he added, "Let's leave that one for tomorrow. You can find out at the toss."
Both spinners clocked extended bowling and batting sessions at nets as the team assessed their readiness. While Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj are automatic picks, Akash Deep is the third seamer.
Kuldeep was India’s third spinner in their last home Test against the West Indies and ended as the top-wicket-taker with 12 wickets at 19.50.
In the India A game against South Africa A in Bengaluru, he managed just one wicket across two innings on a flat track. Against a full-strength South African side, fresh from a 1-1 draw in Pakistan, India is weighing their options carefully.
"We've more or less finalised it. Actually, when we came yesterday, the wicket looked a little different. Today, it looks a bit different again. We’ll come tomorrow and see how it looks. In this part of India, light goes off a little early, so we have to keep that in mind. Generally, fast bowlers get a bit of help in the morning and evening. Once we assess the wicket tomorrow, we’ll decide accordingly. And yes, whenever we play in India, spinners generally decide the game. The better the quality of your spin attack, the better your chances of winning," the skipper said.
Gill highlighted the value of spin all-rounders.
"We are fortunate to have good batting all-rounders, be it Axar, Washington or Jadeja. Their bowling and batting records are excellent, especially in India. It's going to be an exciting Test, and it's good to have more options."
He also flagged pacers’ role on a dry Kolkata track.
“Reverse swing plays a big part if it's a dry wicket. During the 2024 series against England the pacers took crucial wickets even as the pitches were spin friendly. On wickets like these, especially towards the end of the year, there’s early moisture. If you can get the ball to reverse, fast bowlers are always in the game,” Gill said.
Mohammad Shami’s omission has raised eyebrows.
“A bowler of his quality... there aren’t many like him. But we also have to consider the bowlers playing right now. They’ve done a terrific job. You can’t ignore the performances of someone like Akash Deep or Prasidh. We all know what Siraj and Bumrah have done in Test cricket. Sometimes it’s difficult for players like Shami Bhai when they have to miss out. But it’s important for us to plan ahead -- to see what kind of bowlers give us the best chance, especially when playing in New Zealand or other foreign countries,” Gill said.
On Shami’s future, he said, “I think the selectors would be able to give you a better answer to that.”
Gill admitted the workload across formats is a challenge.
“I’m still figuring out how to manage it. Since the Asia Cup, we’ve been playing back-to-back, travelling and switching formats within days. I’m trying to find what works best to perform across formats. The challenge is more mental than physical. Physically, I feel fine apart from a bit of jet lag coming from Australia. Mentally, it can be tough because every format and venue demands something different. But it's a good challenge and a great learning curve for me," he said.
On South Africa, he was clear: "These two Tests are going to be very important to qualify for the WTC final. They are the reigning World Test champions and we know that it won't be easy. There will be difficult moments. But as a team, we have shown that whenever there are difficult moments, we have handled them well. The way they played the last series and drew in Pakistan was impressive. It’s difficult for a foreign team to come to Asia and do well. That's why they are the reigning WTC champions. It’s going to be a good series."