India vs Sri Lanka Tests: Bowling coach Bahutule backs Kuldeep for 2nd Test; keeps Saransh Jain in contention

India vs Sri Lanka Tests: Bowling coach Bahutule backs Kuldeep for 2nd Test; keeps Saransh Jain in contention Sairaj Bahutule backed Kuldeep Yadav to create an impact in the second Test against Sri Lanka, insisting the wrist-spinner remains a key part of the team's aims.

Key points

• Kuldeep Yadav on the third day of the first test match between India and Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium.
• Saransh Jain during a training session ahead of second Test cricket match between India and Sri Lanka Photo Credit: PTI.
• With Sri Lanka adding left-handed batters to the squad, the temptation to play off-spinner Saransh Jain is real, and Bahutule did not deny that.
• Turning his eye towards Manav Suthar, Bahutule remarked, He is somebody who has bowled a lot in domestic cricket and has done the hard yards.
• Nostalgia may have enveloped Sairaj Bahutule when he entered the SSC Ground.

India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule. File Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap.

Nostalgia may have enveloped Sairaj Bahutule when he entered the SSC Ground. He would have remembered his last Test played at the same venue in 2001, a game India lost. The Indian spin-bowling coach, though, rapidly immersed himself in the nets here Friday (August 21, 2026).

Afterwards, near the dugout, he spoke to the media concerning the twirly men under his watch. Plenty of questions centred around Kuldeep Yadav, a fine talent but seemingly rusty right now.

"Kuldeep has been bowling extremely well. It's just that due to the situation that arose in Galle, he had to play a different role. He tried his best to execute that role, " Bahutule remarked.

Kuldeep Yadav on the third day of the first test match between India and Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium. File Photo Credit: ANI.

Getting more technical in his analysis, the spin-coach continued, "We had to see how the trajectory and the speeds work in every session. As the days went by, there was a demand for different types of speeds and trajectories; he definitely was making an effort to bowl that."

Turning his eye towards Manav Suthar, Bahutule remarked, "He is somebody who has bowled a lot in domestic cricket and has done the hard yards. He understands his bowling well. What we try to do is to see how that awareness of bowling gets better in different conditions, on different pitches, and against different batters. He is particularly accurate, and his trajectories are getting better. He puts in a lot on the ball, the revolutions are good and he is somebody who is like a banker for us."

Bahutule additionally spoke concerning the essential nature of ideal preparation. "It's particularly challenging for a player sometimes to adjust to different formats. But I think what we did coming early on this tour was – in that warm-up game and in the open net sessions – we trained well and obtained to understand the conditions and could adapt to them. The amount of cricket being played is quite a bit, but our job as coaches is to manage their minds and support them adapt, " he stated.

"There is another day to go before the Test. We will have a look at the pitch and understand what will be the need. Yes, the (left-handed) additions are there in their team. We will definitely consider him (Saransh Jain) once the pitch is completely ready to play, " he remarked.

Notably, the speculation over Kuldeep's berth in the playing eleven lingered, and when another question was raised, Bahutule remarked, "He has been a fabulous bowler over the years. Yes, the pitches sometimes are slow, and sometimes the ball operates differently for the spinners on certain surfaces. But for me, he has always been a match winner, and he definitely is in the scheme of things. When the ball becomes softer, it becomes even more tough for a wrist-spinner like him."

Taken together, the developments around india vs Sri Lanka Tests: Bowling coach Bahutule backs Kuldeep for 2nd point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.