India Told To Drop Shardul Thakur And Pick X-Factor Spinner: 'Doesn't Need...'
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Monty Panesar suggests India replace Shardul Thakur with Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test in Birmingham.
Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes it's time for India to replace seam-bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur with Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test in Birmingham, where spin is expected to play a more significant role.
India suffered a loss in the first Test on Tuesday at Leeds, as the hosts successfully chased down a challenging target of 371 runs on the final day, thanks to a brilliant 149 by opener Ben Duckett.
'At Edgbaston, India could probably play (Ravindra) Jadeja and could actually go for the X-factor spinner in Kuldeep Yadav…we know that the Edgbaston wicket does turn a little bit. So you have that bit of an X-factor, which I think would be a better option. There's something about him," Panesar told PTI.
Panesar, who played a crucial role in England's last Test series win in India in 2012, feels the statistics strongly favour Kuldeep. The left-arm wrist-spinner has taken 56 wickets in just 13 Tests at an impressive average of 22.16.
In contrast, Thakur has 33 wickets in 12 Tests at a higher average of 29.36 and a strike rate of 46.8.
'He doesn't need turning tracks. This IPL showed that even without exaggerated turn, he can bowl tough lines that make life difficult for batters," he added.
Thakur bowled just 16 overs, taking two wickets while conceding 89 runs in the first Test at Leeds and failed to make a significant impact with the bat, raising questions about his all-round value on English pitches that are no longer offering much seam movement.
'If Shardul Thakur is only going to bowl six to eight overs and not give you 15 overs in the day, there's no point in playing him," Panesar pointed out.
When asked if India should pick Kuldeep instead of Jadeja, Panesar did not hesitate.
'I think they need to play Kuldeep because he has more of an X-factor. There's something about him. Jadeja bowls too quickly. So I think, yeah, they need to bring in Kuldeep Yadav instead of Jadeja. He becomes the main attacking option," he said.
However, Panesar acknowledged that India might be reluctant to play only one spinner, especially given Jadeja's ability to contain runs.
'I just think India won't go with that. Because India likes a defensive spinner. And they can then use Kuldeep. Because Kuldeep can't defend. He only attacks. So if he goes the distance, then they're in deep trouble," he said.
'So I think they will probably play two spinners. Jadeja can then be the defensive guy. And then Kuldeep will be the attacking guy," added Panesar, who represented England in 50 Tests, 26 ODIs, and one T20I.
With PTI Inputs
First Published:
June 25, 2025, 11:35 IST
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