The England vs India Test series is currently level 1-1.
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen believes that India spinner Kuldeep Yadav has to play the third Test against England that will take place at Lord’s from Thursday.
Kevin Pietersen has said that bringing in Kuldeep Yadav into the India playing XI will help the visitors find their “missing” variation. The wrist spinner’s omission from the India playing XI for the first two Tests against England has been a major talking point in the series.
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“They need to play him (Kuldeep Yadav). India lost a Test match, won a Test match and I think they are missing some sort of variation. I think they are missing variation,” Kevin Pietersen told the Times of India during an interview.
Kuldeep Yadav played for Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2025, the same team wherein Kevin Pietersen was mentor. “I sat with him a couple of times when I was mentor with the Delhi Capitals, and I discussed bowling in England with him. I discussed tactics. I had a lot of chat on how to bowl and where to bowl. We spent a lot of time and it will just be nice to see him play,” the 45-year-old opined.
Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut for India in 2017 against Australia. However, the 30-year-old has played just 13 Tests since then, having taken 56 wickets. This is largely because Kuldeep Yadav has had to warm the bench with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja having played as India’s premier spinners for a prolonged period.
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While many would have expected Kuldeep Yadav to make the India playing XI in Tests now that Ravichandran Ashwin has retired, that has not been the case. “It would be lovely to see him play. He loves bowling, he loves taking wickets. And I want to see my buddy play. I don’t like my buddies on the bench,” added the former Hampshire cricketer.
The five-match Test series between England and India currently stand at 1-1 after two Tests. England chased down a target of 371 in the first Test in Leeds, winning that match by five wickets.
However, India, without Jasprit Bumrah, bounced back in the second Test at Edgbaston, thumping England by 336 runs. Pacer Akash Deep took 10 wickets in the match, whereas skipper Shubman Gill was named the Player of the Match after scoring a century in each of the innings. This also included a double century in the first innings.
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