Ex-India Stumper Surprised By Kuldeep Yadav's Omission From India's Playing XI
India opted for a pace-heavy attack with four quicks and a sole spinner in veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for the series opener at Headingley in Leeds.
'I would have liked Kuldeep Yadav to be in the playing XI. He is your trump card alongside (Jasprit) Bumrah. I would have picked him," Engineer told PTI on Friday, the first day of the opening Test.
'Since he is a quality bowler, England batters would find it difficult to play him. So, I would play him in all five games," he added.
The 87-year-old, who featured in 46 Tests for India between 1961 and 1975, also supported new Test captain Shubman Gill, backing the 25-year-old to succeed despite his modest batting record in SENA countries.
'A few people have written Shubman off, saying he hasn't got runs in England or he can't get runs in England because of his technique, but I beg to disagree. He is a class player."
He was particularly impressed with Gill's leadership during the 2025 IPL season, where the opener led Gujarat Titans to the Eliminator.
'Shubman has got this captaincy after the IPL. He captained his team pretty well in the IPL. I thought he showed calmness and made the right decisions—bowling changes and fielding changes.
'So, let's give him a chance and an opportunity because I think he'll do well. I have confidence that he's a level-headed young man and willing to listen to senior players like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant the vice-captain, or certainly Jasprit Bumrah. So, I think he'll do well. Let's back him," he said.
Engineer also lauded Yashasvi Jaiswal, who struck a fluent 101 off 159 balls on the opening day, setting the tone for India in the series.
'Credit to Yashasvi Jaiswal for batting patiently despite a painful rib injury from a short ball. He played his shots correctly and batted superbly."
Reflecting on England's bowling performance, the former cricketer felt India should exploit the home side's weak spin attack.
'England lack quality spinners. Young Bashir, despite a decent Test record, isn't great and can concede runs. Our batsmen excel against off-spin, so they'll capitalise on him," he said.
Engineer added that while the retirement of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin has undeniably left a void in the Indian Test setup, it also paves the way for the next generation to step up.
'A player of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin's calibre will undoubtedly be missed, but this creates great opportunities for youngsters like Sai Sudharsan.
'I'm confident we'll see more of Sai in Test cricket, despite his unfortunate dismissal today," added Engineer, referring to the debutant's four-ball duck.
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