Harbhajan Singh Advises India To Include Kuldeep Yadav In Playing XI vs England, Drop...
Kuldeep Yadav is part of the India squad but he is yet to play a game in the ongoing England Test series.
- India lost the third Test to England at Lord's, trailing 1-2 in the series
- Harbhajan Singh advised India to include Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI
- He suggested dropping all-rounder Nitish Reddy to make space for Kuldeep
Will India make changes in their playing XI? This question has been making rounds ever since the team lost the third Test against England at Lord's to go 1-2 down in the five-match series. After losing the first game, India made three changes but after winning the second Test, the visitors made just one anticipated change. With the fourth match coming next, there are doubts over the spot of several players who have failed to prove their worth in the series so far. As the discussion about playing XI continues, former India player Harbhajan Singh has advised the side to play Kuldeep Yadav.
"I had said before the Lord's Test and also for the Birmingham Test that Kuldeep should play. Because the kind of free flowing batting these Englishmen do, it is not that easy to him. If such a spinner spins it both sides, then he can become a mystery bowler and take wickets at crucial times," Harbhajan Singh told SportsTak.
To rope in Kuldeep, Harbhajan suggested that all-rounder Nitish Reddy could be dropped. Notably, Reddy replaced Shardul Thakur in the team after the first Test but he too has failed to live up to the expectations in the second and third games.
"In Test cricket, it is not just that they are waiting for the new ball. Let a few overs be bowled. If nothing much is happening, then Kuldeep Yadav can take wickets. If it was my team, I would drop Nitish and bring Kuldeep directly in the team," Harbhajan added.
The ex-India spinner also showed trust in young batter Sai Sudharsan, who was dropped from the playing XI after a poor outing in the first game.
"If there was a change in the top order, I would back Sai Sudarshan a little more. I would not have sidelined him after the first match. I think he is very capable, he is a very good player," said Harbhajan.
The spot of right-handed batter Karun Nair in the playing XI has also become a talking point as the player has failed to play a big knock. Nair has hit 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 in the first three Tests in England.
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Harbhajan Singh
Kuldeep Yadav