'Why aren't you playing him?' - Saba Karim urges India to include Kuldeep Yadav
"Kuldeep Yadav took 17 wickets against England in the home series. When he releases the ball, no English batter is able to understand it," said Karim.
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Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim has emphasised the need for India to include spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI for the second Test against England. Karim pointed out that Kuldeep has previously enjoyed significant success against the English batters in home conditions and could prove to be a valuable asset.
India suffered a five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on June 24. The Indian team opted for a pace-heavy attack, featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna, along with bowling seam all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
Karim believes that Kuldeep’s wrist spin would pose a unique challenge to the England batters and could be difficult for them to read.
"Stats are the witness. Kuldeep Yadav took 17 wickets against England in the home series. When he releases the ball, no English batter is able to understand it. So why aren't you playing that kind of bowler? He is an attacking bowler for you. India need attacking bowlers at the moment," Karim said on Sony Sports.
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The former wicketkeeper-batter also suggested that India should opt for four specialist bowlers, particularly if Nitish Kumar Reddy is included as a batting all-rounder at No. 7.
"If you are playing a batting all-rounder in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy, the four remaining bowlers need to be wicket-taking options. India will have to go with bold moves. There is no need for defensive decisions. We are trailing 1-0, this is the time to take courageous and bold decisions which will be in India's favor," Karim conceded.
The left-arm spinner Kuldeep has claimed 56 wickets at an average of 22.16 in 13 Tests. Notably, he picked up 19 wickets at an average of 20.15 in home Tests against England in 2024.
India should not give England a comeback chance: Karim
Karim also highlighted that the performance of the Indian pacers in the second innings was a major positive from the Leeds Test. However, he cautioned that India cannot afford to let England back into the game after gaining the upper hand.
"We have lost the Test match for sure, but what are the takeaways for India? Your top order and middle order have batted well to a certain extent. They have scored five hundreds. Jasprit Bumrah's bowling has always been incredible, but much improved performance from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in the second innings," Karim said.
"The biggest learning will be that when you are in an advantageous position, you cannot give England a comeback chance. We made that mistake two times. We made that same mistake in both the first and second innings, and I feel the match turned from there," Karim concluded.