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Morne Morkel Argues, but Was Dropping Kuldeep Yadav a Wise Option in the ENG vs IND 4th Test?

Darpan Jain

Kuldeep could have been mighty useful at Old Trafford.

It’s been four matches in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but Kuldeep Yadav has yet to get a game. He has been in talks before every game, and the management accepts the temptation to have him in the XI, but Kuldeep still remains on the bench.

Result – t20 – Singapore
Asia-Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy, 2025
Malaysia MAL

55/0

Hong Kong HKG

52/4

Malaysia won by 10 wickets

Upcoming – t20 – Basseterre
Australia tour of West Indies, T20, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 04:30 AM IST
West Indies WI

Australia AUS

Result – t20 – Rwanda
Bahrain and Malawi tour of Rwanda, 2025
Rwanda RWA

157/5

Malawi ML

158/1

Malawi beat Rwanda by 9 wickets

Upcoming – t20 – Rwanda
Bahrain and Malawi tour of Rwanda, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 04:30 PM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Result – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
Romania ROM

178/6

Luxembourg LUX

133/10

Romania won by 45 runs

Result – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
Hungary HUN

168/9

Austria AUST

169/6

Austria beat Hungary by 4 wickets

Result – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
Austria AUST

245/7

Luxembourg LUX

179/5

Austria beat Luxembourg by 66 runs

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 11:30 AM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Result – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

88/10

Jinnah CC JIHCC

163/4

Jinnah CC Stockholm beat Alby Zalmi by 75 runs

Result – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
Rising Phoenix RPH

123/6

Marsta CC MAR

150/4

Marsta CC beat Rising Phoenix by 27 runs

Result – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
Jinnah CC JIHCC

153/9

Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

168/4

Alby Zalmi CC beat Jinnah CC by 15 runs

Result – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
Rising Phoenix RPH

166/4

Jinnah CC JIHCC

78/10

Rising Phoenix beat Jinnah CC by 88 runs

Result – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

100/5

Rising Phoenix RPH

99/7

Alby Zalmi CC beat Rising Phoenix by 5 wickets

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 12:15 PM IST
Rising Phoenix RPH

Jinnah CC JIHCC

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 02:15 PM IST
Huddinge HDN

Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 05:15 PM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 08:15 PM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Result – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
Botswana Women BOT-W

143/6

Malawi Women MWW-W

78/10

Botswana Women beat Malawi Women by 65 runs

Result – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
Eswatini Women EWW-W

40/10

Lesotho Women LSN-W

88/9

Lesotho Women beat Eswatini Women by 48 runs

Result – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
Rwanda Women RWA-W

135/7

Sierra Leone Women SLO-W

84/10

Rwanda Women beat Sierra Leone Women by 51 runs

Result – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
Cameroon Women CW-W

88/8

Mozambique Women MZW-W

87/8

Cameroon Women beat Mozambique Women by 2 wickets

Toss – t20 – Kuwait City
KCC T20 Summer League, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 10:30 PM IST
Gujrat Cricket Club GUJCC

Super Lanka SUL

Upcoming – t20 – Kuwait City
KCC T20 Summer League, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 10:30 PM IST
Chennai Kings CA CHK

Tally Rangers TCC

Result – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
Fatemi Resources Cricket Club FRC

122/4

KL Gladiators KLG

108/6

Fatemi Resources Cricket Club beat KL Gladiators by 14 runs

Result – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
JB Kings JBK

80/4

Sky Warriors Cricket Club SWCL

106/5

Sky Warriors Cricket Club beat JB Kings by 26 runs

Result – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
Utkal Cricket Club UTC

78/4

Maxx Cricket Club MXC

80/2

Maxx Cricket Club beat Utkal Cricket Club by 8 wickets

Result – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
MR KB Putrajaya MKP

75/4

MB Malik Sports UMZ MBMS

73/10

MR KB Putrajaya beat MB Malik Sports UMZ by 6 wickets

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 06:30 AM IST
Fatemi Resources Cricket Club FRC

Maxx Cricket Club MXC

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 08:40 AM IST
JB Kings JBK

MB Malik Sports UMZ MBMS

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 10:50 AM IST
Utkal Cricket Club UTC

KL Gladiators KLG

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 01:15 PM IST
MR KB Putrajaya MKP

Sky Warriors Cricket Club SWCL

Result – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
United Arab Emirates UAE

141/5

Nigeria NIG

88/10

United Arab Emirates beat Nigeria by 53 runs

Result – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
Kenya KNY

126/6

Namibia A NBA

123/2

Kenya beat Namibia A by 3 runs

Upcoming – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 12:00 PM IST
Kenya KNY

Nigeria NIG

Upcoming – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 04:00 PM IST
United Arab Emirates UAE

Uganda UGA

Upcoming – t20 – Puducherry
Pondicherry Premier League, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 07:00 PM IST
Villianur Mohit Kings VMK

Mahe Megalo Strikers MMS

Result – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
Mis Ainak Knights MAK

154/9

Boost Defenders BDS

155/4

Boost Defenders beat Mis Ainak Knights by 6 wickets

Result – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
Amo Sharks ASS

174/4

Speen Ghar Tigers SGT

173/6

Amo Sharks beat Speen Ghar Tigers by 6 wickets

Result – t20 – Trinidad and Tobago
USA Women U19 tour of West Indies, 2025
West Indies Women U19 WIU19-W

67/5

United States Of America Women U19 USAU19-W

66/9

West Indies Women U19 beat United States Of America Women U19 by 5 wickets

Upcoming – t20 – Trinidad and Tobago
USA Women U19 tour of West Indies, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 07:30 PM IST
West Indies Women U19 WIU19-W

United States Of America Women U19 USAU19-W

Upcoming – t20 – London
Women’s Vitality Blast T20, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 05:00 PM IST
The Blaze Women TBLZ-W

 Birmingham Bears Women BRB-W

Canceled – t20 – London
Women’s Vitality Blast T20, 2025
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Match Cancelled

Upcoming – t20 – London
Women’s Vitality Blast T20, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 09:00 PM IST
Surrey Women SUR-W

TBC TBC

Result – t20 – Leeds
World Championship of Legends, 2025
India Champions IAC

203/4

Australia Champions AAC

207/6

Australia Champions beat India Champions by 4 wickets

Live – t20 – Leeds
World Championship of Legends, 2025
Pakistan Champions PNC

95/1

West Indies Champions WIC

Upcoming – t20 – Leeds
World Championship of Legends, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 05:00 PM IST
South Africa Champions SAC

Australia Champions AAC

Upcoming – t20 – Leeds
World Championship of Legends, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 09:00 PM IST
India Champions IAC

England Champions EDC

Result – t20 – Harare
Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series, 2025
New Zealand NZ

180/5

South Africa SA

177/6

New Zealand beat South Africa by 3 runs

Live – oneday – Northern Ireland
Zimbabwe Women tour of Ireland, 2025
Ireland Women IRE-W

288/9

Zimbabwe Women ZIM-W

182/8

After Indian bowlers endured an energy-sapping day in Manchester on Day 3, Morne Morkel came to attend the press conference, where he handled a load of tough questions from the media. Among them was a question regarding Kuldeep’s unavailability for this game, which became more questionable after India’s poor performance in the contest.

“I think it’s finding when he comes in, how we can find balance and how we can get that batting line-up to be a little bit longer and stronger. We’ve seen in the past that we’ve lost wickets in clumps. Kuldeep is world class and he’s bowling really well at the moment, so we’re trying our best to find ways for him to get in. But unfortunately, with that, just to balance with batting throws it out a little bit.”

Kuldeep could have been mighty useful at Old Trafford, where spinners have had some help, as visible by the bowling performances of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Both spinners have taken two wickets each in the second innings, while Liam Dawson also bowled a fine spell in the first innings, where he dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and conceded 45 runs in 15 overs on his comeback.

Why hasn’t Kuldeep Yadav got a game on the England tour?

As Morne Morkel pointed out, India have consistently opted for batting depth, which meant Kuldeep Yadav, who can also bat a bit, hasn’t had a game yet. In the first game, India played Shardul Thakur as the fourth seamer over Kuldeep, and Ravindra Jadeja was their only spinner.

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Then, they roped in Washington Sundar for the second Test because he is a better batter than Kuldeep and added Nitish Kumar Reddy for Thakur for more batting value. For the third Test, the team persisted with the same combination, with Jasprit Bumrah in for Prasidh Krishna.

At Old Trafford, India again went for Shardul Thakur when they had a chance to bring in Kuldeep in Nitish’s absence, given that Thakur’s bowling, which is his primary role, has never been encouraging. However, the obsession with batting depth meant Kuldeep, despite all the praise for being in good rhythm, continues to watch India toil on the field helplessly.

This management fails to understand that an extra bowler can automatically help the opposition score fewer runs and ease the workload on batters, but an additional batter doesn’t necessarily contribute. For instance, during the Lord’s Test, the batting depth meant nothing when India had a partly 193-run target in the fourth innings, and Kuldeep Yadav could have helped India bundle England a lot earlier in the first innings and reduce the target later in the final dig.

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