India's 18-man Test squad has plenty of pacers for the fast bowler-friendly conditions of England. But, former Australian opener Matthew Hayden believes left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav will be the key in the five-Test series. Hayden compared Kuldeep's role to that of Australia's veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon and how his injury affected them in the previous Ashes.
“Looking ahead, I’m really curious about what India brings to England. Five Tests — that’s a tough, character-testing series. We discussed it earlier — someone like Kuldeep Yadav could be a key 20-wicket bowler for them. We’ve had the advantage of Lyon’s consistency, and his absence in the last Ashes showed the impact of losing a reliable spinner. The best teams, through every era, have always had one thing in common — stability,” Hayden told JioStar.
Kuldeep's only Test appearance in England was nearly seven years ago. At Lord's in London, Kuldeep remained wicketless after bowling nine overs. With the bat, he was dismissed by James Andeson for a duck in both innings.
Kuldeep has played a total of four Tests outside India and taken 18 wickets. In Australia, he took a fifer in 2019. Overall, Kuldeep has a decent record against England, taking 21 wickets from six Tests at an average of 22.28, including a five-wicket haul.
However, it will be interesting to see how much game time Kuldeep gets on England soil. At Lord's, he may warm the bench. He is highly likely to feature in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, where spinners have got much help.
Sundar and Jadeja's record against England
In order to extend the batting lineup in the absence of senior players, the team management may look to play spin all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
Sundar is yet to play a Test on England soil. In 2021, he played three Tests at home against England and got just two wickets. With the bat, he scored 181 runs from four innings, including an unbeaten 96.
On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja is an experienced campaigner. He has played 12 Tests on England soil including two WTC finals. The left-arm spinner has 27 wickets at an average of 43.48 in England. With the bat, he has scored 642 runs from 23 innings at an average of 29.18, including one century and three fifties.