Kuldeep Yadav is one of those cricketers who benefitted greatly from the leadership and experience of his captains, people who could put their arms around his shoulders and set him down the right path, to make best use of his left-arm leg-spin weapons. With Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli retiring in quick succession, Kuldeep Yadav suddenly finds himself as one of the more experienced members of the Indian squad.
Kuldeep Yadav travelled to England for a five-match Test series but didn’t feature in a single match, which drew some flak. The left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut in 2017, but since then, he has played only 13 matches. Kuldeep Yadav last played a red-ball match for India against New Zealand in 2024.
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.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill faced some criticism for not including Kuldeep in any of the matches in England. However, the 2-2 series result ultimately helped justify the decision to go with Washington Sundar instead.
The team management decided to go with depth in the batting line-up in English conditions, and Sundar played the role well, scoring a century in Manchester and then a half-century at the Oval to help India draw the series. Sundar scored 284 runs at an average of 47.33. He didn’t get much opportunity with the ball on pace-friendly tracks, but he managed to claim seven wickets in 74.1 overs he bowled.
Citing the importance of Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion especially with home season in site,Former Australian cricketer now commentator Michael Clarke believes that having Kuldeep Yadav in the Playing XI could have been a key to success in English conditions .
“Kuldeep Yadav in the team -A key to 20 wickets” exclaims Michael Clarke
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes India missed an opportunity by not including Kuldeep Yadav in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. However, Clarke also commended India’s spin duo, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, for their outstanding performance in the series.
“The talk around Kuldeep Yadav, I don’t think, changes. He didn’t play a part in the series. I think he could have helped India take 20 wickets in this series. But you can’t take anything from these two (Sundar and Jadeja). With the bat, they’ve been exceptional, with the ball, they’ve been exceptional.
So, I don’t think anybody can criticise those two players, these two spinners. The part of the impact they had in this series deserved their spot, grabbed it with both hands,” Clarke said on his YouTube channel Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
Since his Test debut in 2017, Kuldeep Yadav has played just 13 Tests, taking 56 wickets at an average of 22.16, including four five-wicket hauls. He played only one match in England in 2018 and went wicketless; however, he has a good record against England in Tests, taking 21 wickets in six matches at an average of 22.28, with best figures of 5/72.
After being benched throughout the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Kuldeep Yadav will return to action in the Duleep Trophy, where he will lead Central Zone’s spin attack later this month. Clarke believes Kuldeep is the X-factor for India and could have helped them take 20 wickets in a match during this series. He also feels Jadeja and Sundar’s batting is underrated.
Jadeja was the fourth-highest run-scorer of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, accumulating 516 runs in five matches at an average of 86.00, including five fifties and a century. With the ball, Jadeja took seven wickets in five matches at an average of 72.42. Sundar finished the series with 284 runs at an average of 47.33, including a fifty and a century.
“But I do think Kuldeep will continue to be a talking point because I think he’s that X-factor for all of India. He could’ve helped them throughout this series to take 20 wickets.
And then the two spinners, their batting is underrated. Has always been underrated for someone like Jadeja. He scores so many important runs for India. And, Washington Sundar another fifty as well,” Clarke added.
Spinners’ workload was almost minimal in India’s recently concluded Test series against England. Now, over a month-and-a-half remains for India’s next Test assignment, which gives them some time to sort matters out in the bid for consistency in the longest format.Two Tests each against the West Indies and South Africa at home, beginning from October 2, are in store for the Shubman Gill-led side when they get back to the Test format. No wonder the home conditions are going to be spin-friendly, an advantage for India over the two visiting sides.
In all likelihood, India will be going in with an extra spinner in their XI. Unless all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are indisposed, they are as good as automatic choices following their performance with the bat in England. Who could then come in as the third spinner. That’s one of the aspects that the team management needs to be quite clear about before the four home Tests.
Though chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav was benched during the entire England series, his variations certainly make him a strong contender. That implies the pressure will be on the other left-arm spinner all-rounder, Axar Patel.
At Eden Gardens — the venue for the first Test against South Africa from November 14 — the nature of the soil doesn’t really allow preparation of a rank turner. But the conditions in Ahmedabad and New Delhi (for the Windies Tests) as well as Guwahati (venue for the second Test against the Proteas) are expected to aid the spinners.
Now, will India again go for rank turners in these venues, especially after the embarrassing 0-3 loss to the Black Caps last year.Rank turners may still work against the Windies, owing to their extremely fragile batting.
But, if India are to bat last against South Africa, it may not be the wisest idea to repeat, as left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is a much-improved bowler than what he was six years ago.With crucial World Test Championship points up for grabs, India will have to be strategically correct this time and inclusion of left arm orthodox angle in form of Kuldeep Yadav will just help Team India.
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