'I would play Kuldeep Yadav': Former India bowling coach picks his spinner of choice for England Test series

The stage is set for the high-voltage five-match Test series between India against England which is set to start from June 20. India will entering the contest with a relatively inexperienced squad, with Shubman Gill taking on the captaincy role. The team features a blend of fresh faces alongside returning players, one of whom is the talented left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep had been previously sidelined due to an injury, which kept him out of the recent series against Australia.

Kuldeep Yadav is well-regarded for his ability to pick up crucial wickets, particularly in the shorter formats of the game. Now, with the recent retirement of veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from Test cricket, there is a significant possibility of Kuldeep Yadav being afforded more opportunities to showcase his skills in the longest format of the game. Adding his voice to this prospect, the former bowling coach of the Indian team, Bharat Arun, has strongly advocated for Kuldeep's inclusion in the playing XI, citing several compelling reasons.

Bharat Arun specifically highlighted the historical effectiveness of wrist spinners in English conditions, suggesting that the often dampness found on the wickets there can be particularly conducive to their style of bowling. Furthermore, the former bowling coach also pointed out that Kuldeep possesses the ability to utilize the wear and tear, or the 'rough', created on the pitch by the seam bowlers as the Test match progresses. Arun expressed his confidence in Kuldeep Yadav's capabilities to exploit the English conditions to his benefit, drawing a comparison to the legendary Shane Warne's successful use of spin in similar environments.

“Yes, I would play Kuldeep Yadav. 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,” Bharat Arun said as quoted by One Cricket.

Despite the potential for spin-friendly conditions, India has seemingly leaned towards a bowling attack dominated by pace bowlers for the upcoming Test series. Alongside Kuldeep Yadav, the squad also includes two other spin-bowling options in the form of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Both Jadeja and Sundar possess the added advantage of being capable all-rounders, contributing with the bat as well. This all-round skill set could potentially give them an edge over Kuldeep Yadav in the team selection. Furthermore, given his wealth of experience in Test cricket, Ravindra Jadeja might be the preferred choice if the Indian team management decides to field only a single specialist spinner in their playing eleven.

India’s Test squad for England series:

Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

England squad for first Test against India:

Ben Stokes (Captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes