India tour of England: Like England have Shoaib Bashir, India should back their 'surprise package' Kuldeep Yadav, says ex-India cricketer
NEW DELHI: If you look at
Kuldeep Yadav
's Test career, his highest wicket tally is against England — but all those wickets have come in home conditions. The left-arm wrist spinner has featured in just one Test against England in England — back in 2018 at Lord's — a match he'd prefer to forget.
On a green pitch under rain-affected conditions, Kuldeep had a tough time. He bowled nine overs, conceding 44 runs without taking a wicket, and scored a pair with the bat in a match India lost by an innings and 159 runs.
Now, with
Ravichandran Ashwin
retired, India will be counting on Kuldeep to shoulder the responsibility of leading the spin attack. Teaming up with fellow left-arm spinner and all-rounder
Ravindra Jadeja
, the duo could potentially form a lethal combination.
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But can Kuldeep live up to expectations? Can he be India's trump card on this tough English tour? Will he recreate the magic he spun against England at home?
Poll
Will Kuldeep Yadav be able to lead India's spin attack successfully in the upcoming Test series against England?
Yes, he has the potential to be a match-winner
No, he lacks experience in English conditions
Unsure, it depends on his performance
Only if he receives strong backing from the team management
As India gear up for the five-match Test series starting June 20 at Headingley in Leeds, former India left-arm spinner
Venkatapathy Raju
believes Kuldeep could be India's surprise weapon — and a potential match-winner in English conditions.
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"Kuldeep Yadav can be a real surprise package in England. If you look at the current weather conditions, they're not too different from India — it's been quite hot across Europe. That's why I feel he should be the first-choice spinner," Raju told TimesofIndia.com during an interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network.
"The team management needs to back him and clearly define his role. He must be made to believe he's going to be a match-winner," added Raju, who represented India in 28 Tests and picked up 93 wickets.
"When you compare options, someone like
Washington Sundar
hasn't bowled much in red-ball cricket lately, and while Ravindra Jadeja can contain and even run through sides on helpful pitches, Kuldeep offers that X-factor. Like England has Bashir, India should bank on Kuldeep. He should be leading the spin attack in this series and must believe that he can deliver big. For me, he should be in the XI for most, if not all, Tests," he said.
'NOT SURPRISED BY SARFARAZ'S OMISSION'
The debate around Sarfaraz Khan's continued exclusion despite his rich form is gaining momentum on social media.
Even after an impressive debut Test series against England earlier this year, Sarfaraz has had to wait for another opportunity in the playing XI. His omission from consecutive Test series has now become a major talking point among fans and former players alike.
Sarfaraz made a strong start to his Test career, scoring back-to-back fifties on debut against England in Rajkot in 2024. Prior to that, he also notched up a 150 in India's first Test against New Zealand last year.
Despite these performances, he was left out of the squad for the Australia tour and has once again been omitted from the upcoming England series.
The 27-year-old has worked hard on his fitness, shedding weight and focusing on conditioning, but the call-up continues to elude him.
He also scored 92 in an unofficial Test against the England Lions and followed it up with a blistering knock in the intra-squad match at Kent County Ground in Beckenham — smashing 101 runs off just 76 balls, including 15 boundaries and two sixes.
What went wrong for Sarfaraz remains unclear.
Former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju believes Sarfaraz simply needs to wait for his opportunity.
"Not really surprised. He's a young player and there's a lot of cricket coming up in the next two years. If he's not in the playing XI right now, it might be better for him to go back and keep playing domestic matches. That keeps him match-ready for when an opportunity opens up — maybe due to injury or form issues in the main squad," Raju told TimesofIndia.com.
"Sometimes, you just miss out because of team combinations. We've seen that in the past — even players like KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma had to wait for their chances. The good thing is Sarfaraz is focused on improving his fitness, he's shed a lot of weight, and he clearly wants to cement his place. He's definitely a talented player and has the potential to be a match-winner. Hopefully, when his chance comes, he'll be ready to grab it," he added.
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'YOUNG TEAM INDIA WILL DELIVER'
The upcoming Test series against England marks the beginning of a new era for Indian cricket. No Rohit Sharma. No Virat Kohli. And no R Ashwin. With Shubman Gill taking over as captain, India will field a squad that includes several fresh faces — some with limited experience, and others set to play in English conditions for the first time.
India's last Test series win in England came in 2007 under Rahul Dravid's captaincy.
Prior to that, the team achieved historic triumphs in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar and in 1986 under Kapil Dev.
Can this young and relatively inexperienced Indian side script history once again on English soil?
"If you look back at the Australia series — not the last one where we won the first Test but ended up losing the series — I'm talking about the one before that. Back then, we had a relatively inexperienced squad, but still managed to win two Tests and the series.
Players like Washington Sundar and T. Natarajan went as net bowlers but ended up winning matches for India," Raju said.
"This tour could be similar. There's a lot of talent in the squad, and many of these players have played overseas and understand what's required to succeed. It's a great opportunity for them to step up, make a mark, and establish themselves as reliable Test players. Let's wait and watch — I'm hopeful they'll grab their chances and deliver," he said.
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