Former cricketer Piyush Chawla feels that wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav will be India's preferred specialist spinners when the Indian team competes in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
India won all three matches in tough batting conditions at the Nassau County Stadium in New York against Ireland, Pakistan and USA and will now take on Canada in their last Group stage match at Lauderhill, Florida before the Super Eight stage.
Chawla said while the conditions in New York did not support spin bowling, the Indian spinners will now come into play in the tournament. India have four spin bowling options in Kuldeep, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
"The pitch in New York was very dicey and the way India performed on that pitch and won three out of three games, so there are very good chances going forward," Chawla told media on the sidelines of IISM Convocation Ceremony here on Thursday.
"The spinners were not needed as much in New York but once you enter the second leg for the Super Eight, the spinners have had a big role in the West Indies. Our spinners will come into play now," he added.
Chawla picked Kuldeep as his first choice even though Chahal finished the Indian Premier League (IPL) as one of the most successful bowlers.
"To be very honest only one will play, and I think Kuldeep will be the first preference because of what he has done in the last one and a half years. You have Axar and Jadeja who can give you the batting depth so I feel Kuldeep will get the nod," he said.
Kuldeep said the ‘tricky’ pitch in New York brought the best out of ‘good teams’ such as India.
"It was tricky, no doubt, but good teams have done well. Like India defended 120 runs against Pakistan," he said.
"When they had made just 119 I do not think many people would have given them the chance but the way the Indian bowling unit bowled, especially Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik, that was really a treat to watch," he added.
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