"Our captain, head coach will sit, discuss and decide": Sitanshu Kotak on Kuldeep Yadav's place in playing 11 for Oval Test

London (UK), July 29 (ANI): Briefing on the inclusion of spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing 11 in the fifth test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said that the decision will be taken by captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
After the conclusion of the four Tests, India remains alive, trailing 1-2 as both teams return to London for one last contest of the five-match series
"Our captain and Head coach will sit down, discuss and decide. So, that hasn't been decided today. And even if it's decided, it's not my place to declare that. But it will be decided tomorrow," Kotal told the media.
Kotak praised Yadav for his preparation and dedication, but believes that, given the preparation, it's hard to say this player will actually play.
"Looking at the preparation, you can't say that this player is going to play. Kuldeep is an outstanding individual. He works really hard on his game. And not only bowling, you'll always see him batting. You'll always see him fielding. So, it's not like he's doing something different today," he added.
Yadav is yet to feature in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He has played 13 matches so far in his Test career and grabbed 56 wickets at an average of 22.16 and an economy of 3.55. He also has four five-wicket hauls under his belt.
Yadav has played only one Test in England so far. He featured in the second Test back in 2018, where he went wicketless.
In the series opener at Headingley and the third Test at Lord's, India were outbowled by the hosts, leading to their downfall.
India forced a draw at Old Trafford in Manchester to stay hot on England's heels as the gruelling series heads towards its conclusion.
Indian squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)