Kuldeep Yadav at Edgbaston? Why Team India’s riskiest move could be its smartest

India are 0-1 down in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, and with the second Test at Edgbaston just around the corner, there is a strong buzz that India might finally play Kuldeep Yadav . It is what the pundits are saying, considering the current weather conditions in Birmingham. Spinners are expected to play a crucial role because the pitch begins to deteriorate and cracks start to open up as the match progresses.

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has already hinted at playing two spinners in the second Test . Ravindra Jadeja has his place locked in due to the quality of batting he provides. However, if India go with two spinners, they will have to choose between Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar for the second spot. One is an all-rounder spinner, and the other is an out-and-out spinner.

While Sundar can be handy with the bat when needed, relying on Kuldeep for runs might be a risky option. Looking at the current form of India’s lower-order batting, picking Sundar over Kuldeep might seem like the better option at the moment. One of the reasons India lost the previous Test by 5 wickets under Shubman Gill’s captaincy was the lack of contribution from the tailenders.

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Why India must back Kuldeep?

As such, picking Kuldeep Yadav over Washington Sundar might seem like a gamble that could backfire, but looking at who has the best chance of helping India take all 20 wickets, the former should be preferred at Edgbaston. India have already suffered in the past by trying to accommodate all-rounders to extend their batting order, often weakening their bowling in the process.

Kuldeep Yadav has played just two overseas Tests in the last six years, and guess what, he has taken a five-wicket haul in both matches. One was the famous Sydney Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2019, which India drew and secured their first-ever Test series win in Australia; the other was in Chattogram in 2022, which India won by a huge margin.

Kuldeep deserves a chance after Ashwin

In the 13 Test matches that Kuldeep has played, he has taken 56 wickets at an average of 22.16, including four five-wicket hauls. The numbers don’t fully reflect the skillset that the wrist-spinner brings to the table. It’s not his fault because he has often been sidelined from red-ball cricket as India had two of their greatest spinners, Jadeja and R Ashwin, playing together for several years. They couldn’t be overlooked due to their world-class bowling and dependable batting.

With Ashwin now out of the team, Kuldeep deserves a consistent opportunity and what better than to start on a track that is being tipped to be spinner-friendly. Kuldeep has multiple things to offer, including deceptive variations, and has proven himself on flat pitches before. In the reverse fixture against England played on flat tracks of India, Kuldeep bowled with an average of 20 and performed better than Jadeja and Ashwin.

Meanwhile, Kuldeep has also improved his batting a lot in the past couple of years. In his first seven Tests from 2017 to 2021, Kuldeep managed just 54 runs across 7 innings, with a highest score of 26. However, since his comeback to the Test side, there has been a visible shift in his approach with the bat. In the last six Tests from 2022 to 2024, Kuldeep has scored 145 runs in 9 innings, with a top score of 40.

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Taking 20 wickets must be the priority

Having said that, India might still go with Sundar at the No. 8 position in the second Test, considering the twin collapses suffered by the lower order. Sundar has proven his batting skills in the past, and if the team feels they need an extra batter who can also bowl, they may be right in picking him.

But the most important thing right now is taking all 20 wickets. India’s top order managed well in the previous Test even without contributions from the tailenders, and they often have, but the main issue was the bowling, as they failed to defend a 371-run target in the final innings. To avoid repeating the same mistake, they will need a full-time bowler, and Kuldeep is the better choice in that regard.