Clarke and Knight Urge India to Unleash Kuldeep Yadav in England Test Series

Clarke and Knight Advocate for Kuldeep Yadav's Inclusion in India's Test Squad

Following a lackluster performance by the Indian pace attack in the first Test at Headingley, former Australian captain Michael Clarke and ex-England cricketer Nick Knight have urged the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in India's bowling lineup.

Kuldeep Yadav awaits his chance to bowl

While Jasprit Bumrah stood out, the remaining Indian bowlers struggled to make an impact on a pitch that offered minimal assistance. The pace unit appeared ineffective, with Mohammed Siraj delivering a below-par performance and Prasidh Krishna struggling to find the appropriate length. Shardul Thakur also failed to make his usual contribution, while Ravindra Jadeja, although managing to extract some turn, lacked support from the other end.

"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 stated on the Beyond23 Podcast.

Clarke also criticized India's selection strategy. "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 added.

Knight echoed similar sentiments, particularly considering the dry English summer. "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 is scheduled to commence on July 2nd at Edgbaston in Birmingham.