Left-arm wrist spinners are unique, India should play Kuldeep against England: Irfan Pathan

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“You don’t get left-arm wrist spinners everyday,” former pacer Irfan Pathan said, firmly backing Kuldeep Yadav and hoped that there will be place for him in the Indian team for the Test-series against England.

Yadav has been warming the bench for more than three months now but Pathan said he is a “unique bowler” who would do well in the upcoming Test assignment, starting February 5 in Chennai.

“It is very important from the team management point of view, how they keep mind-set of a player, who is not playing. I am sure they must be doing a right job, and that’s why the guys, when we saw some of the youngsters, they came and played really well,” Pathan told PTI in an interaction.

“I am sure they must be supporting and backing Kuldeep Yadav because he has got immense talent. You don’t find left-arm wrist spinners on every-day-basis.

“He is a unique bowler. The guys is about 25-26 and this is where he is going to get maturity. Whenever he gets opportunity, first Test, second Test, whenever he will be raring to go and I am pretty sure that he will do well.”

Further making a case for Yadav to play against England, Pathan cited history.

“When it comes to England, look at the history, if you are a leg-spinner, you always have a chance of performing well, I just hope that whenever he plays, he does really well and he does,” added Pathan, who has played 29 Tests and 120 ODIs for India.

Yadav has so far played six Tests and picked 24 wickets. He played his last Test against Australia at Sydney in January 2019.

Asked about combination of the series-opener, Pathan said fielding three spinners would not be a bad option, considering the nature of the Chennai pitch.

“It depends on the wickets but there is a high chance in Chennai they play three spinners because we see how Chennai pitch can really help the spinners with that extra bounce as well and the soil, which is very conducive for spin bowling,” he elaborated.

“India is such a good side that even if they have to play three fast bowlers, they will be ready to play, in any kind of pitch,” he said, adding that now there is more pronounced seam in the red ball as well, which can help both spinners and fast bowlers equally.

“But conditions which is helping, with dry pitches, you will definitely see three spinners playing,” he added.

Pathan also forsees a scenario where young Washington Sundar and Ravichandran Ashwin can play together in the four Test series, of which the final two Tests will be held in Ahmedabad.

“There could a chance because if you play Washington Sundar, you are not playing Washington Sundar just for pure ability for his bowling, you are playing him as an all-rounder. He bats really well and he can really do well as a spinner in India specially when the conditions are really helping the spinners and we have always seen wrist-spinners are important.

“But on Indian pitches finger spinners can be very very useful, specially guys who can bowl fast-spin like (Ravindra) Jadeja. He (Sundar) can play a similar role even (though) he is an off-spinner, there could be a chance where you could see Ashwin, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, these three guys playing,” the left-arm pacer added.

Pathan predicted a 2-1 win for India in the Test series.

“Definitely India will win the series, no doubt about that. England side has done really well, just recently in Sri Lanka, pitches are similar and for them Joe Root will be the key,” he added.

“Lot of people are talking about their spin department but I am really looking forward to see how their pace bowling department goes. Their quality fast bowlers, Jofra Archer, James Anderson, Stuart Board, Chris Woakes, if they stay fit for all the four Test matches, it would be a competitive series,” he said.

The Test series, starting February 5 in Chennai, will be aired on ‘Star Sports’ Network.