Follow UsAmidst growing concerns over India’s bowling unit, former Australian captain Michael Clarke reckoned that India should pick X-factor and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav for the Edgbaston Test.
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, India’s bowling unit looked ordinary in the first Test at Headingley, with Ravindra Jadeja being the only spinner. India didn't just lose the Test by five wickets, but in the process, also conceded 373 runs in the second innings, an all-time low for the Men in Blue.
Also Read: Why Kuldeep Yadav Can Be India’s Strategic Weapon During England Test Series
Ahead of the third Test, on July 2 (Wednesday), reports suggested that India won’t have Bumrah, making Kuldeep’s inclusion all the more sensible.
“Bowling-wise, I do not want to be hard on any individual, but I think they’ve got to play Kuldeep Yadav. I think it is an absolute no-brainer. I think he’s a wicket-taker and would have offered a lot more than what he saw the attack do in this Test,” Clarke said on the Beyond23 Podcast.
India’s thought process behind Shardul Thakur’s selection was that the Mumbai all-rounder would bring his three-dimensional skillset to the table. But as it turned out, Shardul could just get five runs with the bat and had match figures of 2/89. Clarke added that India should move away from this thought process and insisted on picking Kuldeep as a difference-maker.
“India have done this for a while. They care so much about extra batting or stacking the batting deep, and they are willing to risk picking the number one spinner to do that. I think to win in England, you’ve got to look to pick 20 wickets,” Clarke added.
Nick Knight, too, wasn’t too different from Clarke with his opinion, stating that he would be looking for every opportunity to get Kuldeep into the playing XI.
“I would be looking for every opportunity to play Kuldeep Yadav. England will find it hard against Kuldeep. If Kuldeep is on top of his game, that could be a defining moment in the series, or moments, because England likes to be aggressive,” Knight added.
“When you want to be aggressive, you have to be certain about which way the ball is turning. If there is a little bit of assistance from the pitch, Kuldeep will be able to bowl all his varieties,” he said.