Subhayan Chakraborty in Birmingham
When Shoaib Bashir and Ravindra Jadeja extracted significant turn on the Headingley pitch during days 4 and 5 of the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, one question dominated discussions: “Where is Kuldeep Yadav?” As India’s Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur leaked runs at economy rates of over six and five, and Jadeja conceded 100 runs in the fourth innings – a career first – Kuldeep’s absence was keenly felt. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley helped comfortably chase down the mammoth 371-run target, supported by Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Jamie Smith.
When India began their first net session in Birmingham on Friday, following a couple of relaxed days filled with team-bonding activities like paintball, all eyes were on the nets at the far left, where Kuldeep, Jadeja, and Washington Sundar were bowling. Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharshan, Karun Nair and Shubman Gill faced the spin trio, but Kuldeep stood out. The left-arm wrist-spinner turned the ball both ways, varying his pace and flight to outfox several Indian batters. Even Pant, known for his robust defense and ability to dominate spinners effortlessly, struggled at times against Kuldeep. A few wrong’uns deceived Pant, hitting his pads as Kuldeep flashed a smile. Gill was beaten a couple of times by the leg-spinner, while Jaiswal refrained from attempting big shots against the 30-year-old.
With Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja dominating India’s spin bowling in Tests for the past decade, Kuldeep has been unfortunate, playing only 13 Tests and taking 56 wickets at an average of 22.16. Overseas, India have often preferred Jadeja for his batting ability. However, with India struggling to take 20 wickets in a Test and the batting unit producing five centuries in Leeds, Kuldeep could be the key to unsettling England’s ‘Bazzballers’. Moreover, Kuldeep is no slouch with the bat, having one first-class century and six half-centuries to his name.
Since 2021, England, under Brendon McCullum, has rarely faced a wrist-spinner at home, with only Steve Smith bowling a single over at Lord’s in 2023. In the four Tests Kuldeep played in the 2024 home series, he claimed 19 wickets at 20.15, often turning games single-handedly despite sharing the attack with Ashwin and Jadeja. The last time India selected another frontline spinner (not Jadeja or Ashwin) in a SENA Test was in Sydney in 2019. Kuldeep, who took a five-wicket haul in that match, was hailed by then-coach Ravi Shastri as India’s “No. 1 overseas spinner”. Kuldeep has not featured in another SENA Test since. With warm conditions in Birmingham and a dry, flat pitch expected at Edgbaston for the second Test, he could be India’s trump card. Six years after Sydney, he has the chance to reclaim and cement his title as India’s premier overseas spinner.