New Delhi [India], July 19: As India prepares for a must-win fourth Test at Old Trafford, former England captain Michael Atherton has advised the visitors to rethink their bowling combination, suggesting a three-spinner attack featuring Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar.
India trails 2-1 in the five-match series after a narrow 22-run defeat at Lord’s, and Atherton believes spin could be the key to leveling the series, particularly given Old Trafford’s known friendliness to wrist spin.
“Wrist spin tends to work well at Old Trafford… If the weather allows, I’d seriously consider playing Bumrah and Siraj as the two pacers and adding three spinners—Washington Sundar, Jadeja, and Kuldeep,” Atherton said on the Sky Sports podcast.
However, he also warned that unpredictable Manchester weather could influence India’s final XI, potentially making seamers more effective under overcast conditions.
India previously considered Kuldeep for the third Test, but chose to bolster their batting depth instead— a move that backfired as they failed to chase down a 193-run target at Lord’s.
Former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane echoed Atherton’s views, saying Kuldeep’s inclusion would bring much-needed variety and wicket-taking threat.
“If the wicket looks like the previous ones, Kuldeep should definitely play. Even if you score a few runs less, you need bowlers who can take wickets,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.
India now faces a crucial selection dilemma: reinforce batting depth or gamble on a spin-heavy strategy to regain momentum in the series.
India Squad for 4th Test:
Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.