Australia vs India, 2018-19: 3 reasons to play Kuldeep Yadav in the Adelaide Test

#1 Ability to spin the ball on all surfaces

Shane Warne is the leading wicket-taker at the Adelaide Oval, with 56 wickets from just 13 Tests over there.

The Adelaide Oval as well as Brisbane Cricket Ground, the venues for the first two Test matches, are not typically supportive of spin. However, wrist spinners such as Shane Warne and Richie Benaud have enjoyed an impressive record here, taking wickets at a good strike rate. Nathan Lyon, Australia's leading off-spinner has enjoyed a good record here as well.

However, India's Ravichandran Ashwin has not enjoyed a great record here, mainly due to his inability to spin the ball by much on flat or unresponsive wickets. Even Anil Kumble, India's best wrist spinner got a five-wicket haul here during India's historic victory in December 2003. Which just goes to show the value of wrist spinners on this ground.

Kuldeep Yadav is one of the rare bowlers in today's cricket who has the ability to spin the ball square both ways on most surfaces. He is also a quickly evolving bowler and is adding more variations to his bowling such as a seam up quicker ball and changes in pace.

If India are planning not to experiment in the very first Test match of what is a golden opportunity to win their maiden Test series in Australia, they should attack with Kuldeep Yadav - rather than playing him later when the series might have got out of their hands.