'India needs a wicket-taking bowler' - Sanjay Bangar picks India's first-choice spinner for England tour

On Saturday (May 24), India named an 18-member squad for the five-match Test tour of England, starting on June 20. The Asian giants are set for the initiation of a new era with Shubman Gill being named as the Test captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma, who retired from the longest format on May 7.

Speaking about the bowling attack, India will miss the services of Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami for different reasons. While Ashwin retired from Test cricket during the recent Border-Gavaskar series, Shami wasn't picked due to concerns regarding his match fitness.

In the absence of these two veteran bowlers, former India cricketer and batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that Kuldeep Yadav should lead the spin attack in the United Kingdom as he is a genuine wicket-taker, who can excel even in swing-friendly conditions.

“Kuldeep Yadav should be India’s frontline spinner for the first three Tests in England. With Ravichandran Ashwin unavailable and Mohammed Shami not in the lineup, India needs a wicket-taking bowler who can make an impact even in swing-friendly conditions," Bangar commented during ‘Follow The Blues – India vs England Test Squad Announcement Special’ on JioHotstar.

Bangar feels that surfaces in England are not as likely to provide as much turn or rough patches to make use of, and considering this, he reckons that Kuldeep should be India's go-to spinner instead of Ravindra Jadeja.

“Jadeja is usually preferred overseas for his control and ability to exploit rough patches, but England is unlikely to offer spin-friendly tracks early on. The series begins in June with matches at Headingly, Edgbaston, and Lord’s — all seam-friendly venues. With Nitish Reddy as a batting all-rounder and a pace trio of Bumrah, Siraj, and Akash Deep, India can afford to play just one spinner — and that should be Kuldeep," Bangar opined.

We have to make sure Bumrah doesn’t get overburdened: Bangar

Bangar emphasised the importance of keeping Jasprit Bumrah fresh during the five-match Test series. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that during the Border-Gavaskar series, India overbowled Bumrah, and that affected his bowling speeds. 

“First of all, we have to make sure Bumrah doesn’t get overburdened. That is where the team management will have a massive impact by using the bowling line-up picked around him. We saw in the Australia series, there were so many all-rounders, and Bumrah was at times overused because the team wanted him to bowl at all times, and it affected his bowling speeds," he commented.

“In one of the Tests, he was down to 120-129. To help him play five Test matches, you need a stronger bowling unit operating alongside him. The more matches he plays, the higher the chances of India winning," he added.