After the defeat against England at Lord’s, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh backed Kuldeep Yadav and said that the spinner should play in the upcoming Test. He added that Kuldeep Yadav has the potential to become the ‘mystery bowler’ and pick wickets at crucial intervals.
Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut in 2017 against Australia. Following that, the 30-year-old played 13 Tests and 24 innings, picking 56 wickets at an economy rate of 3.55, at an average of 22.16.
Kuldeep Yadav’s Test match records
Kuldeep Yadav has a record of 13 test matches and 24 innings. During that period, Kuldeep Yadav has delivered 2,093 balls, concessions 1,241 runs already, and has taken 56 wickets.
Despite limited opportunities in Test cricket, Kuldeep Yadav has done an able job. In 13 Test matches, the left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has bagged 56 wickets at 22.16. He owns four five-wicket hauls under his belt with the best of 5/40. As per ESPNcricinfo, he owns 38 wickets in nine home matches at 23.39. Meanwhile, he has picked 18 scalps at 19.55 in away matches (home of opposition).
Kuldeep Yadav’s top figures in an innings are 5/40, and in a match, he has a record of 8/113. Kuldeep Yadav also has a bowling average of 22.16, an economy of 3.55,a strike rate of 37.3. This only shows how good he is with his bowling action. These figures support his effectiveness and wicket-taking ability, and as a result, he is also one of the most prominent spinners in India in recent Test appearances.
Kuldeep Yadav has played only two matches in SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). In England, he went wicketless in his solitary outing, in 2018 at Lord’s. He conceded 44 runs from nine overs.
Kuldeep Yadav , who has been under the shadow of Ravichandran Ashwin, will look to cement his place in the Test squad. The left-arm spinner has so far picked 56 wickets from 13 Test matches. Kuldeep Yadav has played only one Test in England – Lord’s, 2018 – where he went wicketless. His record against England is decent, having taken 21 wickets in six matches at an average of 22.28.
Shubman Gill-led Team India will square off against Ben Stokes’ England in the fourth Test match of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, from Wednesday, July 23rd and the need of a specialist spinner is now the need of an hour as the pitch in Manchester may assist the spinners on the 4th and 5th day. Hence the relevance of Kuldeep Yadav on the field in the playing XI makes more sense for Team India.
Will India make changes in their playing XI. This question has been making rounds ever since the team lost the third Test against England at Lord’s to go 1-2 down in the five-match series. After losing the first game, India made three changes but after winning the second Test, the visitors made just one anticipated change.
With the fourth match coming next, there are doubts over the spot of several players who have failed to prove their worth in the series so far. As the discussion about playing XI continues, former India player Harbhajan Singh has advised the side to play Kuldeep Yadav.
Harbhajan Singh advocates for Kuldeep Yadav to be a part of Playing XI
As India trails 1-2 in the five-match Test series against England, the spotlight is now on team selection ahead of the crucial fourth Test at Manchester starting July 23. With several players under scrutiny, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has made a bold suggestion, urging head coach Gautam Gambhir to make a key change in the playing XI.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s performances in the series have been a mixed bag. While he impressed with the ball at Lord’s—taking two wickets in his first over and another in the second innings, his batting has been underwhelming. Scores of 30 and 13 in that match did little to shore up India’s middle order. At Edgbaston, Reddy’s struggles continued with two single-digit scores and no wickets.
Speaking to India Today, Harbhajan Singh voiced his preference for Kuldeep Yadav in the XI :
“In Test cricket, it is not just that they are waiting for the new ball. Let a few overs be bowled. If nothing much is happening, then Kuldeep Yadav can take wickets. If it was my team, I would drop Nitish and bring Kuldeep directly in the team.”Â
Harbhajan Singh continued saying :
“I had said before the Lord’s Test and also for the Birmingham Test that Kuldeep should play. Because the kind of free flowing batting these Englishmen do, it is not that easy to him. If such a spinner spins it both sides, then he can become a mystery bowler and take wickets at crucial times.”
India’s defeat in the third Test exposed their brittle top order and lack of support for Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. Jadeja’s unbeaten 61* went in vain as all-rounders Washington Sundar and Reddy failed to anchor partnerships. With the series on the line, Harbhajan’s call for Kuldeep Yadav could spark debate in the Indian camp. The fourth Test at Old Trafford now looms as a must-win clash for Gambhir’s men starting 23rd July 2024.
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