"Axar's selection in Test matches is purely on his batting skills" - Harbhajan Singh prefers Kuldeep Yadav over Axar Patel as third spinner vs England

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh weighed in on the debate about who should be India's third spinner for the upcoming home Test series against England. The two leading candidates for the role are Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are straightforward choices as the primary spinners in the playing XI. The choice for the third spinner could hinge on several factors, including the player's ability with the bat.

Incidentally, Axar Patel made his Test debut against England at home in the 2021 series at the cost of Kuldeep Yadav. After India lost the opening Test by 317 runs, Axar replaced Kuldeep in the playing XI and enjoyed incredible success in that series. The left-arm orthodox spinner picked up 27 wickets in six innings to help India win the series 3-1.

Speaking to PTI, Harbhajan detailed why he feels Kuldeep should be the third-spinner for the England Tests.

"Look, the way I look at it is that when both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are in the playing eleven and you are looking at a third specialist spinner, it should be Kuldeep. Because Kuldeep as a wrist spinner will bring that variation. But I believe Axar's selection in Test matches is purely on his batting skills. At No 8 or 9, he can bat and that's what he brings to the table," said Harbhajan.

Harbhajan also felt Axar's skill sets are identical to Jadeja's, making the selection of Kuldeep more logical.

"While Axar brings his superior batting to the table (compared to Kuldeep), I don't see a logic why you need a superior batter at No. 9 when his skill-sets are completely identical with that of Jadeja's. You are then taking the aspect of variation out of the equation. So for me, ideally, Kuldeep should play," added Harbhajan.

Despite making his Test debut in 2017, Kuldeep has played only eight Tests for India, the last of which came in the first Test of the Bangladesh series in 2022.

The 29-year-old picked up eight wickets in that outing but hasn't featured in the Indian Test XI since, with the think tank opting for Axar as the third spinner in last year's home series against Australia.

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"Axar is fantastic at target hitting and hence he remains favorite" - Harbhajan Singh

IAxar has showcased impeccable discipline with the ball in Tests at home

Despite choosing Kuldeep Yadav as his third-spinner option, Harbhajan Singh believes India's batting struggles and Axar's accuracy on turning pitches make him the favorite to feature in the playing XI against England.

While the 30-year-old only picked up three wickets in the four Tests against Australia at home last year, his batting saved India from the blushes on several occasions. On rank turners that saw players from both sides struggle with the bat, Axar scored 264 runs in the series at a remarkable average of 88.

"On turners, you need a "target shooter". One who would just keep on bowling wicket to wicket, hitting more or less the same length over after over. On turners, you won't need to turn or show variations to get wickets. When it comes to that discipline, Axar is fantastic at target hitting and hence he remains favourite," said Harbhajan.

Harbhajan added:

"If you look at our batting performances on rank turners, you would know that we haven't also done very well. Our batting also could struggle if there is excessive turn and hence you then want a longer tail and that's where Axar comes into effect with his batting."

Axar boasts phenomenal all-around Test numbers at home, with a batting average of 41.90 and a bowling average of 15.97 in 10 games.

India and England will play the first of five-Test series in Hyderabad starting Thursday, January 25.