He missed the last series against Australia because of an injury.
India and England are about to face each other in a big five-match Test series starting on June 20. India will be going into the series with a fairly new and young squad. Shubman Gill has been named the captain, and the team includes a mix of young players and a few returning ones. One of those making a comeback is left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who missed the last series against Australia because of an injury.
With senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently retiring from Test cricket, there’s now a good chance for Kuldeep Yadav to get more opportunities in the playing XI. Speaking to RevSportz, former India bowling coach Bharat Arun supported the idea of including the left-arm wrist spinner in India’s playing XI for the Test series.
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Since English pitches often help seam bowlers more, some may wonder if there’s room for another spinner like Kuldeep. But Bharat Arun thinks there is. He said that Kuldeep should definitely play. Even if he doesn’t bowl much in the first innings, he could be very useful in the second innings. Bharat explained that wrist spinners often do well in England, especially when the pitch is slightly damp or when fast bowlers have created rough patches on the pitch. These rough areas can help spinners get turn. However, making use of that rough is a special skill. He pointed out that someone like Shane Warne was great at doing that, and he believes Kuldeep also has the talent to succeed in such conditions.
“Yes, I would play Kuldeep Yadav,” Bharat Arun told RevSportz. “Even if not in the first innings, second innings, he would be a handful to deal with. Wrist spinners have always been effective, especially in England. Maybe even initially, when there is a little bit of dampness in the wicket, there is help for those wrist spinners. And also, the roughs that the bowlers create. But again, using the rough is a separate art. It’s not just bowling. I think somebody who instantly comes to our mind is Shane Warne. I think Kuldeep has got enough skills to be successful in England.”
Kuldeep is the only specialist spinner in the squad, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar also part of the spin group. Jadeja is expected to play as the main spin-bowling all-rounder, given his previous success in English conditions. However, India has largely gone with a pace-heavy squad for this tour.
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