Should India Pick Kuldeep Yadav For 2nd Test: The Indian cricket team was left disheartened with their loss in the IND vs ENG 1st Test in Leeds. Despite having several sessions go their way, India lost the match in a demoralizing fashion.
India became the first team in the history of Test cricket to lose a Test match even with their batsmen hitting five centuries across the two innings, not to forget Jasprit Bumrah’s outstanding five-for in England’s first innings. England recorded their second-highest successful chase in Test cricket, and they did it with five wickets in hand with more than 10 overs to spare on day 5.
The IND vs ENG 2nd Test will be played at Edgbaston from July 2nd. While India keep a tab on the body of Jasprit Bumrah, who is slated to play three Tests out of five in this series and could miss the second Test, the visitors also might ponder hard over changing their bowling combination.
Should India Pick Kuldeep Yadav For 2nd Test? Michael Clarke Answers
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke opined that India should play left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test. Clarke believes Kuldeep has the penetrative, wicket-taking skillset that India lacked in Headingley beyond Bumrah.
In the first Test, India played one spinner, Ravindra Jadeja, who took only one wicket in 47 overs. Clarke reckons Kuldeep is an X-factor and should line up in the XI in the second Test.
“Bowling-wise, I do not want to be hard on any individual, but I think they’ve got to play Kuldeep Yadav. I think it is an absolute no-brainer. He’s a wicket-taker and would have offered a lot more than what the attack did in this Test,” Clarke said on the Beyond23 Podcast.
Clarke criticised India’s selections in their XIs across the Test series in Australia and in the first Test in England, pointing out that India chose to add some batting depth with all-rounders instead of picking a proper wicket-taking bowler.
“India have done this for a while. They care so much about extra batting or stacking the batting deep, and they are willing to risk picking their number one spinner to do that. I think to win in England, you’ve got to look to take 20 wickets,” the Aussie great added.
Shardul Thakur’s place in the side is on tenterhooks after his flop show with both bat and ball in the first Test. In case Bumrah is rested, India will lose more wicket-taking threat and could drop Thakur for a proper bowler. Apart from Kuldeep, India have the option of Akash Deep.
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