'Could be a defining moment in the series': Nick Knight strictly warns England of India's trump card for five-match Test series

Team India is gearing up for the all-important five-match Test series against England, with the ambition of securing their first series victory on English soil since 2007.

England will find it hard against Kuldeep: Nick Knight

The new-look India under Shubman Gill's captaincy will be focused on countering England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach, a strategy developed under the guidance of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. A key challenge for India comes in the form of their premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who is anticipated to participate in only three of the five Test matches. Despite this concern, former England batsman Nick Knight has suggested another player might emerge as India's crucial asset and potential game-changer throughout the series.

"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 told The Indian Express.

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Kuldeep Yadav brings a unique dimension to India's bowling arsenal. As a left-arm unorthodox spinner, often referred to as a chinaman bowler, his skillset presents a distinct contrast to the other options within the Indian team. Given England's batting lineup has, at times, shown vulnerability against quality spin bowling, Kuldeep's inclusion could prove particularly impactful. His ability to turn the ball both ways can pose a significant threat and potentially disrupt the flow of the English innings.

"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 added.

The 55-year-old also talked about the challenges India's newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill will face in the five-match series.

"Shubman’s big challenge is making sure now that he is captain, he is giving himself enough time to prepare for his own game. He is a very fine player. England would try and work at the top of the off stump, and the ball coming back into him a little bit, nipping back in off the seam. On occasion, he just pushes that front leg across a little bit to play around it. And just generally, the weight of expectation that he will have on his shoulders. In cricket, there is no more vulnerable side than the side whose captain is struggling," he concluded.

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Meanwhile, England have already announced their playing XI for the first Test against India. Now all eyes will be on India's final XI for the series opener.

England's Playing XI for first Test against India:

⁠Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, ⁠Ollie Pope, Joe Root, ⁠Harry Brook, ⁠Ben Stokes (C), ⁠Jamie Smith (WK), ⁠Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, ⁠Josh Tongue, ⁠Shoaib Bashir

India's squad for England tour:

Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.