Mohammad Azharuddin backs Ashwin-Kuldeep spin duo for Test series against England

What's the story

Out of the 17 times that India have faced England in a Test series at England itself, only three times - 1971, 1986 and 2007 - have series victories sided with India. With the 18th edition of India-England Tests in England underway on August 1, 2018, the recent T20I series win and the subsequent ODI series loss should serve as heavy inspiration for the No.1-ranked Test side in the world.

Of the many woes that trouble India, the playing XI is something that will rack the minds of captain Kohli and coach Shastri. Most notable is the absence of key players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.

On this context, former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has spoken up on what he feels would be ideal for the English playing conditions. Azhar feels that a spin-duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav would likely be the X-factor that would raise India's chances to a good effect.

In case you didn't know...

Mohammad Azharuddin was a prolific right-hand batsman throughout the length of his career, and one of India's greatest captains as well. His twin-hundreds in 1990 played a pivotal role in reducing a load of defeat as India played against England, eventually losing the three-match series just 1-0. Azhar would go on to record most wins by an Indian captain, a record that was eventually broken by his successor Saurav Ganguly.

India played some good T20I cricket to seal the recent series 2 - 1 and then went further up by winning the first match of the ODI series. However, the hosts bounced back in incredible fashion, flooring India to win the next two ODI games to clinch the series.

The details

Both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been ruled out of the squad due to injury. Bumrah was removed even before the T20I series began, while Bhuvi left the squad after the series began. The problems that the duo's absence left behind were clearly evident in a few of the games, as their replacements could not make as much as a mark like they would have wanted. It also resulted in India losing a T20I game and also two straight ODI games and the series itself after leading 1-0 ahead after the first match.

It is a crucial set of games for captain Virat Kohli as he prepares for the most important Test series in his life so far. During the ODI series itself, he was keen on picking Kuldeep Yadav for the upcoming Test matches, as he was aware of how difficult it was for the England batsmen to pick the wrist-spin of the left-armer. Eventually, it happened, as Kuldeep was named in a Test squad for the first time in an 18-man side that also featured Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, India's premium Test-spinners in recent times.

India has a tradition of choosing to play with just one spinner in overseas conditions as most overseas pitches do not facilitate turn as much as they would have in the subcontinent. But with Kuldeep Yadav picking up 14 English wickets in five games so far this series (that is nearly 3 wickets per game) and England recording highest-ever summer temperatures so far, the pitches are deemed to be considerably dry, enabling a player like Kuldeep to work his magic. Hence, there is a definite chance for him to be played as first-choice spinner even ahead of Ashwin, or he even might be made to work in tandem with the right-arm offspinner.

This is where Mohammad Azharuddin feels that India would be better off playing both Ashwin and Kuldeep.

"He (Kuldeep) is performing so he should be picked and the England side is struggling against him. Ashwin and Kuldeep should play. I don't think Jadeja will make the cut," Azharuddin was quoted as speaking to the Press Trust of India (PTI). "If it's a green pitch then they may go with 4-1 (four pacers and a spinner), but I think 3-2 will be a better combination if you want to win. Because, later the pitches will get dry. It will be hot and the pitches would offer turn especially on the last two days," he added.

Azhar also spoke about the chances that England will have as they turn up to face the Indian side. In his reckoning, they do not have a good bowling side barring the exceptions of James Anderon and Stuart Broad, who are, however, in his own words, "injury prone and in the twilight of their careers". He speculated that their only chances to a comfortable win are provided they play on green surfaces, but hoped that India's swing bowling is good enough to cancel that out as well.

What's next

The five-match Test series between England and India will begin on August 1st, 2018 at Edgbaston, Birmingham at 10 am GMT and 3:30 pm IST. The subsequent matches will be held at Lord's, Trent Bridge, Southampton and Kennington Oval. India will be looking to save their faces after the ODI series loss, while England will be keen to show who's the boss at their own home conditions.