Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has thrown his support behind the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in India’s playing XI for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which begins on 20 June at Headingley, Leeds.
Kuldeep, who missed the recent Australia tour, returns to the Test squad and stands out as the only specialist spinner among the selected players. He will be joined in the spin department by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
India have opted for a pace-heavy squad, with Jadeja expected to start as the spin-bowling all-rounder, given his experience and previous success in English conditions. But with pitches in England typically favouring seamers, is there still a place for a second spinner like Kuldeep? Bharat certainly believes so.
“Yes, I would play Kuldeep Yadav,” Bharat Arun told RevSportz. “Even if not in the first innings, second innings, he would be a handful to deal with. Wrist spinners have always been effective, especially in England. Maybe even initially, when there is a little bit of dampness in the wicket, there is help for those wrist spinners. And also, the roughs that the bowlers create. But again, using the rough is a separate art. It’s not just bowling. I think somebody who instantly comes to our mind is Shane Warne. I think Kuldeep has got enough skills to be successful in England.”
Kuldeep made his Test debut in 2017 but has played only once in England — in the 2018 Lord’s Test, where India suffered a heavy loss. With Ravichandran Ashwin now retired from Test cricket, the door is open for another spinner to step up, and Kuldeep will be eager to make the most of this opportunity.
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