India have to play Kuldeep Yadav to win in England: Michael Clarke
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has strongly urged the Indian team management to include left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI for the remainder of the Test series against England. Clarke described the decision to field Kuldeep as an absolute "no-brainer", emphasising his ability to take wickets regardless of the pitch conditions.India opted for a lone spinner in Ravindra Jadeja for the first Test. However, the experienced all-rounder failed to make much of an impact, claiming just one wicket across both innings. Despite rough patches available, especially against left-handed batters, Jadeja was unable to exploit the conditions effectively. England comfortably chased down 371 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.advertisementSpeaking on the Beyond23 Podcast, Clarke didn't mince his words. "Bowling-wise, I do not want to be hard on any individual, but I think they've got to play Kuldeep Yadav. I think it is an absolute no-brainer. He's a wicket-taker and would have offered a lot more than what the attack did in this Test," said the 2015 World Cup-winning captain.
Clarke criticised India's tendency to prioritise batting depth over a balanced bowling line-up. "India have done this for a while. They care so much about extra batting or stacking the batting deep, and they are willing to risk picking their number one spinner to do that. I think to win in England, you've got to look to take 20 wickets," he added.He also emphasised the need for greater support for Jasprit Bumrah, who starred in the first innings with five wickets but went wicketless in the second. Clarke pointed out that Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were unable to sustain pressure, conceding too many loose deliveries.advertisement"Bumrah's a star, he's leading that attack. But the other three pacers, yes, at times they bowled well, but they need to find more ways of taking wickets. Their execution probably needs to be better," Clarke noted.On Jadeja's underwhelming performance, Clarke added, "Jadeja didn't have the impact I thought he might. Particularly in the second innings, I expected him to exploit the rough outside the left-hander's off-stump. I thought he bowled a little too straight."The second Test is set to begin on Wednesday, 2 July at Edgbaston.- EndsTune InYou May Also Like
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Congratulations @rpraggnachess for winning the UZchess cup 2025 after a tremendous comeback towards the end showing strong character. Amazing job by @vaibhavschess instrumental in Pragg winning many titles this year! And the other unknown gentleman who has been contributing from… — Ramesh RB (@Rameshchess) June 27, 2025 On X, while congratulating Pragg, Ramesh also indicated there was another second operating from the shadows in Pragg's team. 'Amazing job by Vaibhav, (who has been) instrumental in Pragg winning many titles this year! And the other unknown gentleman who has been contributing from behind the scenes,' Ramesh wrote on X. Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
