“‘Kuldeep Yadav Not in My XI…’ to Sudden Shift at Lord’s: Gill and Gambhir Receive New Selection Message”

Kuldeep Yadav’s place in India’s playing XI for the Lord’s Test against England has sparked intense debate, with former cricketers weighing in. Many point to the traditionally pace-friendly nature of the Lord’s pitch, suggesting that India may continue with a seam-heavy attack over including a second spinner.

Kuldeep Yadav’s Exclusion Debate Cools Ahead of Lord’s Test

There was widespread criticism when India left out Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test at Edgbaston—especially after resting their premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, for workload management. Experts like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Mike Atherton, Dale Steyn, and Tom Moody questioned the team’s selection strategy. However, that outrage is unlikely to carry into the third Test at Lord’s, even if Kuldeep misses out again.

Two key reasons explain the shift in sentiment. First, India silenced critics with a dominant 336-run win at Edgbaston. Second, the conditions at Lord’s traditionally favour pace, and with England head coach Brendon McCullum requesting a livelier pitch, a spinner-heavy attack seems improbable.

Meanwhile, former Indian cricketers Varun Aaron, Parthiv Patel, and Deep Dasgupta offered differing opinions on Kuldeep’s potential role in the XI for the third Test, adding further intrigue to the team selection conversation.

‘Won’t consider Kuldeep Yadav at Lord’s’

As India prepares for the third Test at Lord’s, former cricketers remain divided on whether Kuldeep Yadav should feature in the playing XI.

Varun Aaron firmly dismissed the idea of including the left-arm wrist spinner, citing Lord’s pace-friendly conditions. “Not at all, I wouldn’t consider an extra spinner at Lord’s. We all know. The numbers say it all. Mostly fast bowlers take wickets at Lord’s,” Aaron said on JioHotstar. His view is backed by stats: only four spinners have taken over 30 wickets at Lord’s, compared to 16 pacers. Fast bowlers average 28.83 and have claimed 3,229 wickets in 148 Tests at the venue, while spinners haven’t even taken a third of that.

By contrast, Parthiv Patel advocated for Kuldeep’s inclusion. Despite Kuldeep going wicketless in his lone appearance at Lord’s in 2018, Parthiv believes his variety could complement India’s pace attack. “It will depend upon the conditions, but I would definitely like to see Kuldeep Yadav in this Indian Playing XI. Bumrah and Kuldeep would be outstanding additions to this Indian unit,” said the former wicketkeeper-batter.

With Jasprit Bumrah set to return, the team management faces a key decision: stick to Lord’s pace-heavy tradition or trust Kuldeep’s X-factor.

*Kuldeep Yadav makes it to the Playing XI at Lord’s, and the expert panel’s got thoughts!

Parthiv Patel backs the Bumrah-Kuldeep combo as a game-changer, while Deep Dasgupta & Varun Aaron believe an extra spinner could be the X-factor at the iconic venue. 🎯[#ENGvIND](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) 👉 3rd TEST… [pic.twitter.com/9ZdzMc4gtL*](https://t.co/9ZdzMc4gtL)

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 9, 2025

Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta offered a balanced perspective on the Kuldeep Yadav selection debate for the third Test at Lord’s. While he personally wants the wrist-spinner in the XI, he acknowledged the practical challenges of accommodating him.

“Yes, Kuldeep can come into the XI. That’s what you can hope for but it looks very difficult,” Dasgupta said. “I would definitely keep him in my XI, but I think it is difficult to fit him in because of what happened at Edgbaston.”

He pointed out that had Karun Nair or Nitish Reddy delivered more with the bat, the team might have considered dropping a batter to make room for an extra spinner. “If Karun Nair had scored runs at No.3 or Nitish Reddy at No.6, then the think tank could have gotten the confidence to drop a batter to play an extra spinner. So yeah, as much as I’d want him in my side, it looks difficult,” he added.

With India’s dominant win at Edgbaston and the seam-friendly conditions expected at Lord’s, the management may stick to a pace-heavy attack—leaving Kuldeep Yadav’s selection hanging in the balance.

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