Former Australia captain Michael Clarke said India must play wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav against England in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, starting July 2. Speaking on the Beyond23 podcast, Clarke said including Kuldeep is an “absolute no-brainer.” India are likely to make forced changes to their playing XI, with Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested as part of his workload management. Besides looking for a replacement for Bumrah, head coach Gautam Gambhir also needs to rejig the bowling attack after Indian bowlers failed to prevent England from winning the first Test, despite having 371 runs on the board to defend. India lost the Test despite scoring 835 runs, with four batters scoring hundreds. Rishabh Pant struck hundreds in both innings.

In the first Test, Bumrah, who picked up a five-for, did not get ample support, as Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna could not maintain pressure or pick up wickets consistently. Clarke said Kuldeep can bring balance to the bowling attack.

“Bowling-wise, I do not want to single out anyone for blame, but India have to play Kuldeep Yadav. He is a genuine wicket-taker and could have made a big difference in the last Test,” Clarke said.

Clarke also noted that India sometimes focus too much on extending their batting depth, even if it means dropping their frontline spinner. He said India should focus on picking bowlers who are capable of taking all 20 wickets. Former England batter Nick Knight echoed Clarke's thoughts and also backed Kuldeep's inclusion. He said England’s batters will be tested against Kuldeep’s variations, especially if the Edgbaston pitch offers turn.