 "Arshdeep wasn’t too happy with being sidelined by Gill, Gambhir in England. Image: AFP")
While the Anderson-Tendulkar series offered many Indian youngsters an opportunity to showcase their mettle by shining in the most testing conditions in the longest format of the game, a few individuals were still left waiting on the bench and could not make it to the playing XI throughout the 5-match series.
Arshdeep Singh was among the players who were kept in limbo in the series. There came various occasions in the series, be it Jasprit Bumrah getting intermittent rest owing to workload management or Akash Deep getting injured ahead of the 4th Test, when his inclusion seemed likely, but captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir never zeroed in on his name.
Arshdeep Singh lost patience after not getting chance in England series
The prolonged wait unsettled Arshdeep, Punjab bowling coach Gangandeep Singh revealed. Singh speculated that maybe the coach and captain were not completely sure about Arshdeep, given his inexperience in the format.
“A few months ago, when he was in England, I spoke to him," Gagandeep told Times of India. “He was getting impatient because he was not getting a chance. I just told him, ‘You’ve to wait for your time’. I think they should’ve played him in England because he’s a swing bowler and he’s tall, everything’s good”.
“I don’t know the team combinations, probably the coach (Gautam Gambhir) and captain (Shubman Gill) weren’t confident about him,” he added.
Arshdeep Singh has played 21 first-class games and has picked 66 wickets at an average of 30.37. He has taken two fifers as well.
Arshdeep Singh is a bona fide starter for India when it comes to T20Is, but he will have to wait and probably engage in more first-class cricket to earn his Test debut cap. Nonetheless, his being in the Test squad reveals he is in the scheme of things for the format.