Kuldeep was India's leading wicket-taker in England series last year.
With the series on the line, the Indian cricket team have found themselves in trouble ahead of the Manchester Test against England, starting July 23. Star all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the five-match series, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will not be available for the fourth Test.
Prasidh Krishna failed to make an impact in the first two Tests. Mohammed Siraj might be feeling the fatigue, having bowled the most overs for India in the series. Although India have added Anshul Kamboj to the squad, he is yet to make his debut.
Hence, the Indian team management must be tempted to play Kuldeep Yadav, seeking control and wickets against an ultra-aggressive England batting lineup. Kuldeep’s tremendous record against England also adds weight to his inclusion. The left-arm spinner has picked up 21 wickets in six Tests, averaging 22.28.
Additionally, the spinner has a great record against their top-order. The English openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett average just 20.7 and 18.3 against Kuldeep in Tests, while No. 3 batter Ollie Pope averages just 15. The English captain Ben Stokes averages only 19 against him.
However, the stats at Old Trafford in Manchester display a different story. While pacers enjoy success bowling at Old Trafford, it has historically assisted spinners as well, especially finger spinners. The likes of left-arm orthodox spinner Monty Panesar and right-arm off-spinner Moeen Ali boast an exceptional record with the ball at this particular venue.
The duo features in the top-five wicket-taker list in Tests since 2000. Panesar is the third leading wicket-taker after the veteran pace duo of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, respectively. The left-arm spinner has taken 25 wickets in only three Tests, averaging a staggering 16.72. He has three five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket match haul in Manchester. Ali, on the other hand, has taken 17 wickets in seven innings, averaging an impressive 23.82, including a fifer. And this goes against India’s wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Though the number of matches wrist spinners played at Old Trafford is very less, none of them who have more than four wickets, have an average less than 40. The most successful wrist spinner in Manchester Tests is Pakistan’s Yasir Shah with nine wickets in four innings, averaging 47.88. Even the legendary Shane Warne of Australia averages 43.25 at Old Trafford.
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Recently, in a chat with Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports, former England captain Michael Atherton noted that the pitches at Old Trafford have become significantly flatter in recent years, especially after the introduction of ‘Bazball’ in Test cricket.
“I was chatting briefly to Jimmy last night. He said they have been very flat. Since they turned the square around, which is a long time ago now, the pitches haven’t had the pace that they used to have. And said in particular, he said there are a couple of pitches on the ends that have got a bit of zing, but in the middle, where the televised pitches are, just flat,” said Atherton. “I was wondering whether they could go like Bumrah, Siraj, and then play their three spinners. Washington Sundar, [Ravindra] Jadeja, and Kuldeep, but you don’t know the forecast in Manchester. That’s the other thing, if it’s going to be cooler and showery and whether the fast bowlers then come into it, but I think that’s an option India should think about.”
Since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over as England’s Test coach and captain, respectively, the run rate at Old Trafford has seen a significant rise. Before May 12, 2022, the average scoring rate in Manchester Tests was 2.78 runs per over, but it has climbed to 3.78 after their appointments.
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Ravindra Jadeja has been a crucial part of India’s success away from home. His batting at No. 7 and ability to maintain the pressure with the ball have provided a balance to India’s playing XI. His recent form, having amassed four consecutive fifties, won’t give a chance to team management to think about his place. Washington Sundar, on the other hand, has confirmed his place with a second-innings four-fer in the Lord’s Test. Additionally, both are reliable southpaw batters and provide depth in the batting lineup. Hence, unless the pitch is extremely dry and the forecast is clear and sunny, replacing one of them could be a risk.
Yes, Kuldeep’s performance across all formats has been outstanding, but India can’t afford to do experiments. Rather, it’s time to get their best XI on the field and take the game to the decider. With very little experience of bowling in English conditions and stats at Old Trafford going against him, India would like to go with three seamers and two spinners.
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