Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has backed the team management's potential decision to drop left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in favour of an off-spinner for the second Test against Sri Lanka, beginning at the SSC Ground in Colombo on Sunday. Manjrekar described the move as 'understandable', pointing to Sri Lanka's pronounced reliance on left-handed batters as the primary tactical driver.

The Numbers Behind the Decision

A breakdown of Sri Lanka's batting in the first Test at Galle — which India won by 165 runs — reveals a telling pattern. The hosts' four principal left-handers contributed 300 of the 465 runs scored across both innings, accounting for roughly 64.5 per cent of the team's total output.

India, meanwhile, fielded three left-arm spinners in that match, a combination that opponents exploited when two left-handers batted in tandem. Kuldeep returned modest match figures of 1 for 103 from 25 overs, underscoring the mismatch in spin variety.

The Case for Saransh Jain

Off-spin bowling all-rounder Saransh Jain is part of the Indian squad and could earn a Test debut if the Colombo pitch turns out to be sufficiently dry. Manjrekar argued that introducing an off-spinner would add crucial variety to India's spin attack.

'If India play an off-spinner in place of Kuldeep Yadav, it's understandable because that will just make the spin combination a little better. In the last Test, three spinners bowling with the left arm proved to be a little bit of a problem when two left-handers got together, and we saw left-handers get runs against India in the first Test,' Manjrekar said in a video posted on his Instagram account on Saturday.

'So if there's an off-spinner that comes in and a left-arm spinner is left out, it will just make the Indian spin attack a little more potent because there will be variety, and an off-spinner in Test matches with DRS and everything is almost like something that you need in a team,' he added.

Manjrekar's Advice to Kuldeep

Even while acknowledging the possibility of Kuldeep being left out, Manjrekar expressed sympathy for the wrist-spinner and offered pointed technical counsel should he retain his place in the XI.

'Kuldeep Yadav could be the person who could be dropped, and you feel sorry because that's been the story of his career. Maybe the management might think, let's play Kuldeep Yadav, give him a little more confidence. But Kuldeep also needs to look at what he did in the last Test and the way he bowled,' Manjrekar said.

He noted that Kuldeep appeared to have overcorrected by bowling flatter and quicker — a response to years of scrutiny over his pace through the air — yet the adjustment had not yielded the desired results. 'The ball still wasn't coming quickly off the pitch. So that's a lesson learned,' Manjrekar observed.

The Technical Fix Manjrekar Prescribes

Manjrekar urged Kuldeep to return to his natural, slower-flighted style rather than persist with the flatter trajectory. 'I believe Kuldeep Yadav should really not change and become the complete opposite of what he was. He must still look to bowl slowly. The odd ball in the 70s, mid-80s, and that line has to be outside off instead of middle stump, and just give the ball some flight if he plays,' he said.

Manjrekar was emphatic about the potential returns: 'If he bowls that line, slow flight, 75 to 85 speed range, and bowls it outside off, I guarantee you that he'll get at least three wickets per innings.' The second Test is set to begin on Sunday at the SSC Ground, Colombo, with India holding a 1-0 series lead.