India’s decision to persist with a three-pacer strategy and overlook Kuldeep Yadav throughout the England Test series has sparked conversations-both inside the dressing room and amongst fans.
The tactical call, repeated over five matches, was a defining feature of India’s approach in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Throughout the series, India opted for a combination centred around three frontline pacers, with spin handled by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, both all-rounders. The aim was to lengthen the batting lineup, offering more depth at the cost of a specialist spinner. But as the Tests wore on and pitches began to break up, the absence of Kuldeep Yadav, India’s premier wrist-spinner, became increasingly conspicuous.
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In the press conference after Day 4 of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, bowling coach Morne Morkel explained the rationale behind the repeated selection calls.
“To be honest, that’s been part of our conversation before every match. Heading into the Tests, given the nature of the wickets and the overhead conditions in the early days, we felt going in with the extra batter was important,” Morkel said. “In the last couple of games, our fourth seamer didn’t bowl too many overs anyway, and with Washi and Jadeja both capable of bowling long spells, we leaned towards strengthening the batting. But yes, these are things we will reflect on at the end of the tour-the areas we could’ve handled differently.”
Before the series, there were quiet expectations that Kuldeep Yadav would feature prominently, especially given how his left-arm wrist spin could have challenged England’s attacking middle order. Yet, the team consistently leaned on part-timers and left him out even when conditions began turning favourable for spin.
, India didn’t deviate from that plan-three quicks, spin from Sundar and Jadeja, and added cushion in the batting with Karun Nair coming in. However, as England closed Day 4 needing just 35 runs with four wickets in hand, questions emerged about whether India had compromised too much on bowling firepower.
As the series nears its conclusion with England poised for a 3-1 victory, scrutiny around India’s selection calls-especially the continued omission of Kuldeep-will only grow louder.