On a pitch with variable bounce, an unconventional spinner gets to bowl just 10 overs in a day’s play!

On Day I of the fourth Test here, that was chinaman exponent Kuldeep Yadav’s allotment. That too, on a pitch, where some of the balls — especially those from left-arm orthodox Ravindra Jadeja — were keeping very low and were threatening to sneak through the batter’s defence or trap him leg-before.

While Jadeja (1/55 in 27 overs) did decently, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/83 in 22 overs) was off-colour. Couldn’t Kuldeep have been given more overs then?

“Maybe he (Kuldeep) could have been given another spell. Say, another five overs or so, considering his abilities,” former India spinner and national selector Sunil Joshi told The Telegraph.

“Having said that, it could also be a part of the Indian team’s game plan (to give more overs to Jadeja and Ashwin). Usually, this happens when there are three spinners in the XI, as one of them goes on to be under-bowled. He may get a longer spell tomorrow (Saturday) morning though. Let’s see,” Joshi, also a former India left-arm spinner, said.

Venkatapathy Raju, another former India left-arm spinner, echoed Joshi.

“When you go in with five specialist bowlers, one of them gets under-bowled... Nonetheless, I feel Kuldeep will have a bigger role to play in the second innings, especially when the surface will undergo wear and tear,” Raju said.