Ravi Shastri, former India head coach, has defended the visitors’ choice to play Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar ahead of Kuldeep Yadav in the upcoming Test series in England. Shastri claims that India’s team combination has been greatly influenced by the comparatively flat surfaces available in the two Test matches.
For the first Test match in Leeds, the visitors selected all-rounder Jadeja, rather than left arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep, in the starting lineup. The majority of experts supported Kuldeep to replace Jadeja after the latter’s left-arm spin failed to produce any results in India’s five-wicket defeat at Headingley. However, India selected off-spinning all-rounder Sundar in addition to keeping Jadeja for the second Test in Birmingham.
Ravindra Jadeja scored 89 & 69* and also took 1 wicket. His career bowling average in under 25 and batting average is 36 in tests while batting at lower middle order.
His contribution is not truly recognized by the fans and analysts. He is a proper world class all-rounder pic.twitter.com/KxBhBjLop6
— 🍁 (@rgdnttmn) July 6, 2025In an interview also involving Nasser Hussain, Dinesh Karthik and Michael Atherton, Shastri was quizzed on what he thought of young England off spinner Shoaib Bashir, who has not been able to create a mark on the Indian batters yet in the two Tests that have already been held.
He said, without criticizing the 21-year-old, that the hosts need a player who can contribute with the bat and has more control with the ball in hand. He praised India’s team selection and expressed his opinion:
“When you play on these pitches in English conditions, I would definitely want a spinner who would give me control and can get me 30-40 runs. That’s why Jadeja is playing for India ahead of Kuldeep. That’s why Washington Sundar came into the side. If it’s a turning track, then the job is to take wickets. Then I am not bothered about the runs.
“Jadeja has not picked up too many. Washington Sundar, he’s not picked too many. Jadeja has over 300 wickets. It’s very difficult to judge a guy. England need a spinner who can give them control and someone who can score runs for you,” the 63-year-old former India left-arm spinner went on to add.
The kind of win that stays with you 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/OtvqiqbhIt
— Washington Sundar (@Sundarwashi5) July 7, 2025
At an average of 59.50, Bashir has taken eight wickets for England in two games. In Birmingham, Jadeja produced half-centuries in both innings despite only managing two wickets for India. Sundar made a vital 42 in the first innings but only took one wicket in the second Test.
“You might have just unearthed the best seamer for English conditions” – Ravi Shastri on Indian pacer
In the Test series against England, Ravi Shastri not only praised India’s selection of spinners but also suggested that the visitors may have unintentionally found the team’s greatest seamer bowler for the circumstances in Akash Deep. Due to Jasprit Bumrah’s rest, the right-arm pacer only participated in the second Test, although he was crucial to India’s victory. Shastri said:
“You might have just unearthed the best seamer for English conditions in this Indian line-up by picking Akash Deep, who will trouble England as this series progresses if there is some help.”
Ravi Shastri
In the first innings at Edgbaston, Akash Deep registered figures of 4-88 from 20 overs, while in the second innings, he scored 6-99 from 21.1 overs.
