Matthew Hayden believes that Kuldeep Yadav could pick 20 wickets in the upcoming five-match Test series between India and England in the United Kingdom. The first Test commences on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.
After Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement, Kuldeep is expected to feature more frequently in Test cricket. He is the lone specialist spinner in the side, with Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja being the spin-bowling all-rounders. Kuldeep, being the only wrist-spinner, could be an X-factor for India against the English batters.
“Looking ahead, I’m really curious about what India brings to England. Five Tests, that’s a tough, character-testing series. We discussed it earlier, someone like Kuldeep Yadav could be a key 20-wicket bowler for them,” Hayden was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
The cricketer-turned-commentator said that the presence of a quality spinner makes a huge difference. He pointed out how Australia missed the services of Nathan Lyon during the Ashes in 2023 in England. The veteran off-spinner sustained an injury during the second Test and missed the remainder of the series. Australia took a 2-0 lead after winning the first two Tests. However, in Lyon’s absence, they suffered defeats in two out of the last three matches as the riveting series finished 2-2.
“We’ve had the advantage of Lyon’s consistency, and his absence in the last Ashes showed the impact of losing a reliable spinner. The best teams, through every era, have always had one thing in common, stability,” the former Australian opener said.
Hayden previews WTC final
Ahead of the India-England face-off, Australia and South Africa are going to cross swords in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, starting on Wednesday, June 11. Hayden wondered how long the likes of Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja would be able to continue, given that they are in the twilight of their careers. However, the legendary former cricketer backed Australia to do well in the final because of their balanced bowling attack.
“We’ve still got a core group in the side, but it’s starting to shift in some ways. How long is Steve Smith going to play or Usman Khawaja going to continue? These are the characters sitting in that space, one that Stephen (Steve Waugh) and I have been in, and Virat’s been in as well. We’ve all faced that challenge where you realise maybe it’s time to move on,” Hayden said.
“But for this cycle, Australia has been a very dominant team. I base that largely on the fact that you need to take 20 wickets to win a Test, and this team has a world-class pace trio, much like in Stephen’s (Steve Waugh’s) era. They also have a world-class spinner, and I’m sure we all appreciate the skill of Nathan Lyon. That’s been such a key part of how Australian teams are built,” he concluded.
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