3 reasons why India must still play Kuldeep Yadav in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test despite win at Edgbaston

Team India spinner Kuldeep Yadav is still awaiting his first appearance on the tour of England after being snubbed for the first two Tests. His chances of featuring in the third are also tricky, given the fact that the visitors won the second Test in Edgbaston, and will be tempted to stick with the winning combination, except for Jasprit Bumrah's inclusion.

In his eight-year Test career, Kuldeep has played only 13 Tests, of which only two have come outside the subcontinent. Interestingly, one of those came at Lord's itself. Although he had a forgettable outing on that occasion, he is a much more evolved bowler now.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India must still play Kuldeep Yadav in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test despite win at Edgbaston.

#1 Kuldeep is the ideal candidate to take wickets if England take the aggressive route on a difficult wicket

In recent times, whenever there has been a green top, or any tough wicket for that matter, teams tend to hit their way out of it. Knowing that there is a ball out there in their name on it, batters do not tend to die wondering, and instead look to make some impact before departing. Once they know that a big score is not on the cards, they choose to get as much as they can before being inevitably dismissed.

After two flat tracks in the series so far, England are arguably lucky to be 1-1 in the series, despite being dominated for the majority of it. As a result, it is no surprise that England have reportedly opted for a much more spicier track, with initial images from Lord's correlating with the team's thinking.

During the 2024 series in India, when England were at their attacking best against the pacers, it was the spinners who curbed the scoring, and were among the wickets. Granted that the conditions are far from those in the subcontinent, the principle applies.

If England do look for an aggressive route out, it plays into Kuldeep Yadav's hands, as he would prefer the batter attacking him, giving him a much better chance to claim a wicket. His variations and ability to vary his pace will make it trickier for England's batters to take him on with success consistently.

The spinner also comes across as a candidate who can be used against the England lower-order. The hosts' batting depth, with their handy ability against pace, as seen in the first Test, has the potential of stretching the total. However, they will not be too comfortable facing Kuldeep Yadav, as they will not have much pace to work with, and might have to work a lot harder for their runs.

#2 India need a reliable bowling option with the old ball

Team India skipper Shubman Gill highlighted the fact that the new Duke's ball is getting soft far too early. The number of requests that the players have put in to the umpires to get the ball changed is a sheer indicator as to how they are dreading bowling with the old ball.

India got the old ball to talk on Day 5, largely due to Akash Deep's skillset. However, for the major mart, Indian bowling has been relatively lifeless once the magic of the new ball has worn out. Spinners have not come into play as well across both teams.

As a result, India need a candidate who can make the most of the old ball, so that England do not run away with the game. The visitors struggled to make an impact with the old ball in the first innings of the second Test, where Harry Brook and Jamie Smith put on a 302-run stand. On that occasion, India were spared by their mighty first innings total, but they may not always have runs to play with.

Although the conditions may not allow Kuldeep to be heavily involved in the game, he is the best option India have with the older and softer ball. Although Jadeja and Sundar have done a decent job with the ball in terms of a holding role, they have not troubled the England batters in an attacking sense, which is where Kuldeep's X-Factor attribute comes into play.

#3 India need to pick their playing Xi thinking about both innings

It is easy to dismiss the thought of selecting Kuldeep Yadav watching a green strip being laid out at Lord's. However, as we recently saw in the World Test Championship (WTC), the wicket improved for batting as the game went on. Keeping that in mind, India cannot blindly go with the same combination, and regret having an attacking option in the final innings.

Even if Kuldeep is not expected to be in the scheme of things for the first innings as the pacers, his skillset would definitely come into play in the latter stages of the match. The Lord's pitch, even if baked down by the sun for the first three days, is not expected to be a conventional dry surface. But, Kuldeep is not someone who needs conditions entirely in his favor to make an impact.

Even if there is the slightest indication of rough patches or the pitch losing a bit of moisture as the match progresses, the wrist spinner will latch onto it. India won't always have an Akash Deep masterclass or the luxury of a 608-run target to bank on in the final innings. The fact of the matter is that the current bowling unit still needs more attacking options, and with the series level at 1-1, India have the license to go for the kill by including both Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav.