Kuldeep Yadav, the Indian left-arm wrist spinner, said that Kevin Pietersen, the ex-England batter, gave him some advice during IPL 2025 about Ben Stokes’ Test team and how to bowl in the UK. Kuldeep and Pietersen were together at Delhi Capitals, where Pietersen was a team mentor.
Kuldeep is one of two spinners India have chosen for the England Tests, along with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. In the first match at Headingley, the team went with their usual strategy of picking only Jadeja with four fast bowlers. But after seeing Jadeja and Shardul Thakur struggle to get wickets in dry conditions, that might change in Birmingham on July 2. Kuldeep is a more attacking option.
“Kevin Petersen was on our team at DC, the spinner said. “He gave me a lot of advice for the England tour. He talked to me about fielding positions, pitches and batsmen. We went over their batting lineup. He told me what attitude I needed in England. Pietersen said that spinners go to England with a defensive attitude. They think that in England, fast bowlers will get wickets and they will play a supporting role. He told me to go onto the field with an attacking attitude. If I get to play and bowl 15 to 20 overs, I always need to think about how to get the batsmen out, he added.
The spinner knows he can’t just be a holding bowler and he feels the only way to earn his place is by taking wickets.
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“Apan ko kuch aata nahi hai bowling ke aalava” (I don’t know anything other than bowling). If you don’t take wickets, you can’t prove you should be playing in England. If you don’t take wickets, I don’t think you should play. But I know, wherever I play, at home or in England, I need to get the revs on the ball and the drift, and that will get me wickets, he added.
Edgbaston helps spinners. Kuldeep will also be useful against this England team that wants to attack the bowlers. But it’s up to the team management to make that happen—it will be interesting to see if they drop someone for him and who it is.
