India’s left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has yet to feature in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. Despite conditions at Edgbaston that were conducive to spin, he was left out in favor of Washington Sundar, whose inclusion added more depth to the batting order. In the Manchester Test, where pace hasn’t been particularly effective, Shardul Thakur returned to the playing XI following an injury to Nitish Kumar Reddy. As India’s bowlers continue to find it difficult to dismiss England, questions have been raised about the continued omission of Kuldeep in favor of batting depth.
During the post-match press conference, bowling coach Morne Morkel was asked about the repeated decision to bench Kuldeep, a strike bowler who is yet to play a Test in this series.
“I think it’s finding when he comes in, how we can find balance and how we can get that batting line-up to be a little bit longer and stronger,” Morkel said. “We’ve seen in the past that we’ve lost wickets in clumps. Kuldeep is world class and he’s bowling really well at the moment, so we’re trying our best to find ways for him to get in. But unfortunately, with that, just to balance with batting throws it out a little bit.”
When asked again whether India were playing too defensively, Morkel emphasized the need for a solid total.
“I do think at the end of the day you need runs on the board, and for us obviously giving that a little bit of extra batting protection, wanting to get totals of 400-plus,” he added “You need it against England, especially the way they play, their brand of cricket.”
“But to be honest, the wicket so far has been dry and it’s actually spun a little bit. So that brings Washington into the game. It brings Jaddu [Jadeja] into the game. So Kuldeep, we are trying to find a way for him, but it is just more that consistent runs from our top six that we want so that we can bring a guy like Kuldeep in.”
Historically, spin has proven effective at this venue. The last five-wicket haul by an Indian pacer here came back in 1959. In contrast, left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi claimed six wickets in the 1982 Test, which ended in a draw. India’s struggle with the ball continues in the fourth Test. By the end of Day 3, England had taken a strong position with 544 for 7, leading by 186 runs. Ben Stokes remained unbeaten on 77, with Liam Dawson at the crease alongside him.
