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Should India Play Kuldeep Yadav In 4th Test? Ex-England Pacer Gives His Take On Combination

Should India Play Kuldeep Yadav In 4th Test? Ex-England Pacer Gives His Take On Combination

India.coma day ago
Former England pacer Steve Harmison feels that India might consider playing three spinners in their playing XI for the fourth Test against England in Manchester starting on Wednesday. India picked two spinners - Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar - in the last two Tests in Edgbaston and Lord's. The result in Edgbaston was in India's favour, while they narrowly lost by 22 runs at Lord's to go 1-2 down in the five-match series.
With the series on the line, Harminson backed the Shubman Gill-led side to include Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI at Old Trafford on rainy conditions.
'If it's going to rain anywhere in England, and it hasn't rained here in almost three months, it'll be in Manchester. If there's any venue where you might consider playing two spinners or even three, it's Manchester. England won't go that route; they have got Liam Dawson, but India might consider it. I expect a wicket very similar to what we saw at Edgbaston and Lord's, one that will break up as the game progresses and offer turn later on. But I don't see much pace or bounce in it, and once again, we could be looking at a lower-scoring affair," Harmison said on JioHotstar's 'Follow The Blues'.
'The wicket in the fourth Test is not going to offer bounce to Kuldeep, but it will spin as the Test match progresses. And with the last three Tests all going deep into the fifth day, India have to seriously consider playing a second or even a third spinner. At the moment, their side is well-balanced. But the challenge lies in finding a way to bring Kuldeep Yadav in. You cannot drop Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja," he said.
"So, can you play three spinners? That would be a big call, especially considering the situation around Jasprit Bumrah. Picking Kuldeep can be the right move, but how would you fit him in? There may have to be a tough decision - is it Sundar who misses out? I wouldn't want to be the one making that call," he added.
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