“Fast bowlers will get wickets” - Kuldeep Yadav reveals message from former England star ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Team India bowler Kuldeep Yadav revealed that former batter Kevin Pietersen has urged him not to be confined to a traditional defensive spinner role during the England tour. The pair recently worked together during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), as part of the Delhi Capitals (DC) setup.

Kuldeep Yadav earned a place in the touring squad along with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the spin department. Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series left a vacancy in the squad.

The left-arm wrist spinner was part of the Indian squad during the 2018 tour, where he played the Lord's Test. However, he ended up with dismal figures of 0-44 off nine overs in the defeat by an innings and 159 runs. Despite an imperious white-ball record in the nation, he missed out on the 2021-22 tour, as India continued to bank on their senior finger-spin all-rounders.

Kuldeep was not considered for the playing XI in the 2025 series opener in Headingley, but is expected to play a role, somewhere down the five-match series.

The spinner recalled how Kevin Pietersen assisted him in preparing for the England tour during the 2025 IPL campaign in the subcontinent.

"Kevin Petersen was part of our team at DC. He gave me a lot of inputs for the England tour. He told me about fielding positions, pitches and the batsmen. We ran through their batting line up. He told me about the mindset needed in England," Kuldeep said in an interview with the Indian Express.

"Pietersen said that generally spinners come to England with a defensive mindset. They think that in England, fast bowlers will get wickets and they will be in a supporting role. He told me to take the field with an attacking mindset. If I get a game and bowl 15 to 20 overs, I have to always think about how to get the batsmen out," he added.

Spinners did not have an overwhelming role in the first Test of the series in Leeds. England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir ended up with three wickets in the match, while India's Ravindra Jadeja picked up only one wicket, despite having the chance to bowl on a slightly roughed-up Day 5 pitch.

"If you don’t take wickets, I don’t think you deserve to play" - Kuldeep Yadav

Team India are desperate for wicket-taking options outside of Jasprit Bumrah. The speedster picked up a five-wicket haul, and the struggle for wickets was evident in the second innings when he could not find a breakthrough.

Kuldeep Yadav has only played two Tests outside of the subcontinent, one of which is the aforementioned, forgettable outing at Lord's. However, he also boasts a five-wicket haul in Sydney during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar series, and his recent form promises wickets.

"Apan ko kuch aata nahi hai bowling ke aalava (I don’t know anything other than bowling). If you don’t take wickets, you can’t justify yourself for playing in England. If you don’t take wickets, I don’t think you deserve to play," Kuldeep Yadav said.

The second Test between India and England is scheduled to take place at Edgbaston, Birmingham, from Wednesday, July 2, onwards.