Cliff Notes – Kuldeep on Test captain Gill: ‘He’s fully ready to lead us’
- Kuldeep Yadav is closely collaborating with Ravindra Jadeja, enhancing his tactical understanding ahead of the Test series in England, where he aims to leverage his improved bowling skills.
- With Jadeja likely to be India’s first-choice spinner, Kuldeep’s performance in previous matches indicates he could play a crucial role if conditions favour spin bowling.
- Kuldeep expressed confidence in Shubman Gill’s leadership abilities, noting his readiness to captain the team following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, based on his experience and proactive engagement with senior players.
Kuldeep on Test captain Gill: ‘He’s fully ready to lead us’
Kuldeep Yadav has been “spending a lot of time” with fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja, both on and off the field, picking his brains ahead of India’s five-match Test series in England.
Kuldeep has played only one Test in England so far, at Lord’s in 2018. He conceded 44 in nine overs and failed to pick up a wicket in England’s only innings. Since then, however, he has grown into a more rounded bowler, and currently has 56 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 22.16 and a strike rate of 37.3, which is bettered by no spinner in Test history with a cut-off of 50 wickets.
Jadeja’s all-round value makes him the frontrunner to be India’s first-choice spinner on this tour, but Kuldeep is likely to come into the picture if conditions allow them to pick a second spinner. Kuldeep’s left-arm wristspin was instrumental in India’s comeback from 1-0 down to beat England 4-1 at home in early 2024 – he picked up 19 wickets in four Tests at an average of 20.15.
“Playing alongside Jadeja is such a great honour for me,” Kuldeep said. “Obviously, Jadeja and [R] Ashwin have been brilliant over the last few years. When I made my debut in India, they helped me a lot. And even now, we have been having a lot of chat about how to bowl to certain batters, given the way the England batters are batting at the moment.
“I’m actually spending a lot of time with him, not only on the field, but also outside as well. So it has actually helped me a lot in terms of tactics and the field placements, and he has given some tips as well.”
In the team bus, Kuldeep has been sitting next to Jadeja, taking over a seat previously occupied by Rohit Sharma, now retired from Test cricket. When asked about it, Kuldeep laughed.
“I can never take Rohit bhai’s place,” he said. “It’s just that I’m spending a lot of time with Jaddu bhai. It’s obviously very important for me as a spinner, because Ash bhai [Ashwin, also retired] isn’t there, and I’ve learned a lot from Ash bhai, and now that he isn’t there, [I’m looking to learn from] whichever senior player is there.”
Shubman Gill pumps Kuldeep Yadav up after the latter removed Zak Crawley Gareth Copley/Getty
India are currently playing an intra-squad match in Beckenham. Sunday is the third day and, with the sun out, Kuldeep expects the pitch to start taking turn. With England transitioning away from green seamers, over recent years, towards flatter pitches that suit their ultra-aggressive style of batting, there is a chance spin could play a role in the five Tests should the matches last longer.
“It seems like there will be good wickets for spinners,” Kuldeep said. “The wicket for the practice match was good for batting. There was some light moisture on the first day, and the seamers got some help, but as the game went on, I felt there was some bounce for the spinners, and while I didn’t get much turn during my first spell on the first day, it’s day three today and I’ll get to know how the wicket is now when I get to bowl, but whatever practice sessions I’ve had so far, the ball has been turning a bit. It’ll be really nice if it remains this way during the [Test] matches too.
“If the conditions are warm, as they have been over the last three-four days, and if the wickets are like this, spinners can get help. I don’t worry that much about conditions, but yes, it feels good to bowl if you get a slightly helpful wicket.”
When asked what the players looked to achieve from an intra-squad match, Kuldeep said: “We’ve played a lot of T20 in the last four-five months, so volume is very important, and all the bowlers are instructed to bowl as many overs [in practice as they would in a match]: the fast bowlers will bowl at least 15 to 20 overs so they can build up fully for the Test match, and it’s the same for the spinners – the more they bowl, the better it will be.”
In the wake of Rohit’s retirement, India have handed the Test captaincy to Shubman Gill. Kuldeep felt Gill was “fully ready to lead” the side.
“Shubman knows how to lead a team,” Kuldeep said. “He has worked under the seniors in the last couple of years. In the last one year, you’d have seen him in a lot of discussions with Rohit bhai – not only in Tests but even in ODIs. I’m sure he has learned a lot, but as a leader, from what I have seen so far, he’s very motivated and he’s been playing an active role in lifting the team.
“I have seen over the last three-four sessions that Shubman has the same qualities that I’ve seen in our previous leadership groups. He’s fully ready to lead us.”