Why Picking Shardul Thakur Could Unlock Kuldeep Yadav – And Shift the Series in India's Favour vs England.
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With injuries to key players, Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy, along with Arshdeep Singh not available for selection, India find themselves in a spot of bother ahead of the fourth Test scheduled to be played at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, starting Wednesday, July 22, 2025. Having lost the Lord's Test after coming agonisingly close to the target, the visitors would look to turn things around and level the five-match series.
Why Shardul Thakur Is Key to Unleashing Kuldeep Yadav in Manchester?
India would look to have the right kind of balance in the bowling attack, and Shardul Thakur fits in perfectly in place of injured Reddy in the Playing XI. Although Reddy was a batting all-rounder who could bowl a bit, Thakur is more of a bowling all-rounder who can use the long handle to good effect.
It will give India the perfect balance in the bowling attack without compromising on batting depth as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are capable enough to bat at No.6 and 7 respectively. He can give frontline seamers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the much-needed breather and come in as first change. Although his performance in the first Test left a lot to be desired, we all know his potential as a partnership breaker.
This would also ensure that India can play left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the team in place of Akash Deep, adding the much-needed depth and variety to the bowling attack. It will no longer be one-dimensional. Kuldeep has played six matches against England so far in his career and picked up 21 wickets at a strike-rate of 38.7. He went wicketless in the only Test he played in England in 2018, when he was still a work-in-progress bowler.
With conditions mostly on the drier side in the first three Test matches, there is every reason for Kuldeep to come good in the Manchester Test, just about enough to give India the edge in the series. By playing Thakur, India can play an extra bowler, either Kuldeep or Anshul Kamboj, in the fourth Test without going thin on their batting depth. England have had their troubles in picking Kuldeep in the past, and his addition to the team might help India to pick up those 20 wickets to level the series.
