Sourav Ganguly wants Virat Kohli to pick Kuldeep Yadav for the England Tour

Sourav Ganguly has continued to heap praise on Kuldeep Yadav, and feels that the young chinaman will assert himself as India’s premier spinner in the longest form of the game as well.

Kuldeep wasn’t picked for the South Africa tour, with India opting only for two spinners, but Ganguly feels that Kuldeep will surely be drafted into the XI during the England tour.

“I know in England, Kuldeep will play Test matches. I can see that happening. It’s tough on Ashwin and Jadeja. More tougher on Ashwin because his Test record is remarkable. I am sure he (Ashwin) will still make the trip but whether he plays or not, we have to see when they get to England” Ganguly said.

“Wrist spinners have been successful in world cricket. Look at Shane Warne. I am not comparing them (Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal) to Warne, because Warne was an absolute champion. I think they (Indian team) have gone the right way.” he added.

It would be interesting to see if Kuldeep is drafted into the squad and if he ultimately makes it to the XI.

With the limited overs series in England scheduled to be held before the Test series, Kuldeep could in fact play instead of Jadeja and Ashwin, both of whom do not feature in the ODI setup anymore.

However, considering Ashwin’s form in Test cricket, it looks unlikely that Kuldeep will make it to the XI.

The Indian wrist spinners have been on fire during the ongoing limited overs series against South Africa, spinning a web around this inexperienced South African middle order.

With the Test series scheduled to take place after the limited overs series and at the end of the English summer, the worn out English tracks could offer some assistance to the spinners. Hence, India will very carefully have to chose their spin attack. Ashwin should get the nod initially, but Kuldeep could be drafted in later, providing the Indian Test attack a different dimension!

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Utkarsh Bhatla