Clarke and Knight Call for Kuldeep Yadav's Inclusion as India Seeks Test Series Turnaround

Friday - 27/06/2025 06:08

Following India's underwhelming bowling performance in the first Test, former cricket stars Michael Clarke and Nick Knight have urged the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav. Clarke criticized India's selection strategy, emphasizing the need to prioritize wicket-taking over bolstering batting depth.

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke and ex-England cricketer Nick Knight have both urged the Indian team management to include Kuldeep Yadav in the bowling attack for the upcoming Test matches. Their comments come after the Indian pacers, with the exception of Jasprit Bumrah, failed to make a significant impact in the first Test at Headingley.

Kuldeep Yadav poised to make an impact for India.

The Indian pace attack looked ineffective on a batting-friendly pitch. Mohammed Siraj delivered a below-par performance, while Prasidh Krishna struggled with his line and length. Shardul Thakur also failed to replicate his usual impactful performances. While Ravindra Jadeja managed to extract some turn, he lacked support from the other end.

Clarke expressed his views on the Beyond23 Podcast, stating, "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."

Clarke also criticized India's team selection strategy, suggesting that the team prioritizes batting depth over picking the best possible bowling attack to take 20 wickets. "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.

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Knight echoed Clarke's sentiments, highlighting the potential of Kuldeep Yadav to exploit the dry English conditions. "I would be looking for every opportunity to play Kuldeep Yadav. England will find it hard against Kuldeep. If Kuldeep is on top of his game, that could be a defining moment in the series, or moments, because England likes to be aggressive. When you want to be aggressive, you have to be certain about which way the ball is turning. If there is a little bit of assistance from the pitch, Kuldeep will be able to bowl all his varieties," he said.

The second Test between India and England will begin on July 2nd at Edgbaston in Birmingham.