Following India's performance in the first Test, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in the playing eleven for the second Test against England which is slated to get underway from July 2 at Edgbaston. In the series opener, India's strategy of fielding only one specialist spinner Ravindra Jadeja, did not yield the desired results as they ended up losing the match by five wickets. The all-rounder from Saurashtra bowled 47 overs but managed to secure only a single wicket throughout the match. Gavaskar's recommendation comes amidst the near certainty that premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will could be rested for some matches during the five-Test tour as part of the team's workload management strategy. However, Gavaskar insists that Kuldeep's inclusion should not be dependent on Bumrah's availability for the second Test. He believes the wrist-spinner could find favorable conditions on the Birmingham pitch.
Sunil Gavaskar wants Kuldeep Yadav's entry into India's playing XI for 2nd Test vs England
To accommodate the additional spinner, the former captain suggested that all-rounder Shardul Thakur might be the player to make way. This change, in Gavaskar's view, would provide the team with a potent, wicket-taking spin option that was lacking in the first match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
“Whether Jasprit Bumrah is fit or not, I think Kuldeep Yadav has to come into the team. I do believe that he should come into the team for Shardul Thakur because the Birmingham pitch will be one where there will be just a little bit of help for the wrist spinner,” Gavaskar said in the post-match show.
Gavaskar proposed a potential strategic adjustment for the Indian cricket team. He suggested the possibility of including Washington Sundar in the playing eleven for the second Test match. This inclusion, according to Gavaskar, would likely be contingent on the performance of either Sai Sudharsan or Karun Nair. Should either of these two batters fail to perform adequately in the upcoming match, the team management could consider bringing in the spin-bowling all-rounder, Sundar, as a replacement option to bolster the team's composition.
“If things don't go well in the second Test, maybe Sai (Sudharsan) and Karun (Nair). I don't want to drop them at the moment. Then I'd also look at Washington (Sundar), so that it really gives you a more solid batting, and also get a little more variety as far the bowling is concerned,” Gavaskar added.
Talking about how the first Test unfolded, England earned a resounding win against India by comprehensively chasing down a dauting target of 371 runs on the final day riding on stunning century from Ben Duckett, who set a strong foundation for the chase. Further contributions came from Zak Crawley and Joe Root, both of whom scored crucial half-centuries. Skipper Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith also played vital roles, providing valuable runs to guide England to a memorable win against India to kick off the five-match Test series on a high.