"He will have variations" - Anil Kumble backs the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav for second Test against England

Former India coach and bowling legend Anil Kumble feels the side should play Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI if only one pacer would suffice in the second Test at Vizag.

India suffered a shocking defeat in the opening Test by 28 runs after being in control of the game with a 190-run first-innings lead. However, the home spinners were ineffective under the onslaught of Ollie Pope's sparkling 196 in the second innings, conceding 331 runs between the three of them.

While ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler for India in the match, Mohammed Siraj made little impact in 11 wicketless overs.

Speaking to Jio Cinemas, Kumble felt the team management should consider Kuldeep for the variations he offers if they believe only one pacer is sufficient.

"I am not really sure whether you need a fourth spinner," Kumble said. "But if India feels that they need only one fast bowler then having Kuldeep will certainly help. He will have variations but England will come and do the same things they did in Hyderabad. The wicket could be a turning one and we are expecting the pace to be quicker than this."

The 29-year-old left-arm chinaman bowler has been unlucky to miss out in Tests, thanks to the consistency of the three frontline spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.

Kuldeep picked up a match-high eight wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings, in his last Test appearance against Bangladesh in 2022.

"India certainly needs to buckle up with their approach to playing against spin" - Anil Kumble

India v England - 1st Test Match: Day Four

Anil Kumble called for the Indian batters to be more positive and assured in their footwork against spin in the second Test against England.

Chasing 231 for victory, the hosts were bamboozled by debutant Tom Hartley, as the left-arm spinner picked up 7/62 in a match-winning spell. India were bundled out for a paltry 202 to lose by 28 runs.

"This was slow but it was a good wicket if you applied yourself. India certainly needs to buckle up with their approach to playing against spin because I felt the approach of a couple of batters wasn't positive and even the footwork wasn't what you expected," Kumble said.

The former leg-spinner also felt the Indian bowlers unraveled, thanks to the approach from the English batters, and called for better plans and more variations in the Vizag Test.

"I also felt that they were certainly rattled by the way England approached their batting and with that, they have to come up with plans, some unconventional ones. They never tried any variations so that’s something I am sure they will be looking to do," he concluded.

The defeat was India's first at home with a 100+ first-innings lead, with Rohit Sharma's side now facing an uphill task to level the series.

Following a quick turnaround, the action shifts to Vizag for the second Test, starting February 2.