IND vs ENG: Former India wicketkeeper-batter and chief selector Saba Karim wants captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir to include left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav for second Test of the five-Test series against England. Karim pointed out that Kuldeep troubled English batters on Indian pitches and can have a similar impact as he is an 'attacking bowler'.
"Stats are the witness. Kuldeep Yadav took 17 wickets against England in the home series. When he releases the ball, no English batter is able to understand it. So why aren't you playing that kind of bowler? He is an attacking bowler for you. India need attacking bowlers at the moment," Karim said on Sony Sports after India's five-wicket defeat at Headingley, Leeds, despite setting a 371-run target.
30-year-old Kuldeep has played six Tests against England and taken 21 wickets at an average of 22.28, including a five-wicket haul.
Karim wants India to make bold moves instead of defensive decision when selecting team for the next Test which is scheduled to start at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on July 2. He feels that if they include Nitish Kumar Reddy to prevent collapses, the other four need to be wicket-taking options.
"If you are playing a batting all-rounder in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy, the four remaining bowlers need to be wicket-taking options. India will have to go with bold moves. There is no need for defensive decisions. We are trailing 1-0, this is the time to take courageous and bold decisions which will be in India's favor," Saba added.
Karim lauds Siraj and Krishna
While Indian bowlers were not able to defend 371, Karim feels that Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna's performance in the second innings is a big positive for the visitors along with the five hundreds.
"We have lost the Test match for sure, but what are the takeaways for India? Your top order and middle order have batted well to a certain extent. They have scored five hundreds. Jasprit Bumrah's bowling has always been incredible, but much improved performance from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in the second innings," he said.
Meanwhile, there is a question mark over whether Jasprit Bumrah will play the next Test or not. It will be interesting to see whether India go for two spinners by including Kuldeep in his place or Arshdeep Singh gets his Test debut cap.