• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Got To Play Kuldeep Clarke Wants India To Change Bowling Attack For 2Nd Test Vs England

"Got To Play Kuldeep…," Clarke Wants India To Change Bowling Attack For 2nd Test vs England

Aashay Chopade

Kuldeep Yadav with Shubman Gill (Source:@dudi34713_jat/X.com)Kuldeep Yadav with Shubman Gill (Source:@dudi34713_jat/X.com)

The opening game of the five-match Test series between England and India turned out to be a cracking encounter, with the home team chasing down the target of 371 on the final day. The young Indian team under Shubman Gill batted well, but their bowling looked too reliant on Jasprit Bumrah, and it ultimately cost them.

Thus, for the all-important second Test match at Edgbaston, India could make some changes in the bowling line-up, and one of them should be to bring in Kuldeep Yadav, according to the former Australian captain Michael Clarke.

Australia Legend Wants India To Go With A Wicket-Taking Option

Kuldeep Yadav has been an integral part of the white-ball setup but has not got regular chances in the Test team, and Clarke feels that his inclusion in the playing XI for the second Test is a no-brainer as he is a genuine wicket-taker. Clarke expressed his opinion on his Beyond23 Podcast and added that Kuldeep would have offered more than what Indian bowling did in the opening Test.

Clarke also criticised India's mindset to sacrifice their bowling for an extra bowling option. The Aussie stated that India has been adopting this approach for a long time, and they need to get rid of it to win in England, where picking 20 wickets is crucial.

"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. I think he’s a wicket-taker and would have offered a lot more than what he saw the attack do in this Test. 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 the number one spinner to do that. I think to win in England, you’ve got to look to pick 20 wickets," Clarke said on the Beyond23 Podcast as quoted by SportsTak.

Kuldeep Yadav has picked 56 wickets in 13 Test matches but has played only one game in England. He has shown the ability to pick wickets on docile wickets in the past and could be effective against the English batters who have struggled against spin in the past.