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Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the non-inclusion of spinner Kuldeep Yadav in key Test matches during the ongoing five-match series against England, specifically pointing out the missed opportunities at Lord’s, Manchester, and Birmingham. According to Ganguly, quality spin is crucial in the later stages of a Test, and India may have overlooked this vital element.

Kuldeep Yadav, a left-arm wrist spinner, has not featured in any of the first four Tests. Ganguly believed that his presence, particularly in the fourth innings, could have been instrumental in dismissing England on day four or five pitches. “I wish Kuldeep had played in Manchester, had played at Lord's and even in Birmingham, because without quality spin, you will find it hard to get teams out on day four and five of a Test,” Ganguly said.

Referring to the drawn fourth Test in Manchester, Ganguly highlighted how the Indian lower-middle order frustrated England’s bowling attack by batting for 143 overs. He noted that the absence of a world-class spinner cost England the chance to claim 20 wickets on a turning pitch. "You saw what happened to England when India batted on a pitch which had a bit of rough and turn — there wasn't a quality spinner, and England couldn't take 20 wickets," Ganguly said.

 

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: On the Indian team's head coach Gautam Gambhir's heated conversation with the Oval Pitch Curator, Former Captain of the Indian Cricket Team Sourav Ganguly says, "I really don't know why Gambhir was upset. All coaches and captains must have had… pic.twitter.com/YZ4EjpsS4X

— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2025

He compared the current situation to past great teams that boasted elite spinners, naming legends like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Graeme Swann, Monty Panesar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, and Ravichandran Ashwin. He stressed that India must continue to back Kuldeep for future matches.

However, Ganguly did not question Kuldeep’s omission for the fifth Test, stating that the conditions at The Oval might favour pace bowling, which could explain the team management's decision. “England have gone with four pacers and no spinners, which suggests there may be more grass on the wicket than usual. That’s likely why India didn't opt for a third spinner since they already have Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar,” he added. “I'm just presuming—I haven’t seen the pitch.”

 

No rushed judgments on Anshul Kamboj

Ganguly urged restraint from critics after Anshul Kamboj had an underwhelming debut in Manchester, where he returned with figures of 1/89, replacing the injured Akash Deep. The former skipper advised that young players should be given time before judgment is passed. “Don’t judge Anshul Kamboj based on one Test. He has taken wickets in domestic cricket. Give him six or seven Tests before forming an opinion,” Ganguly advised.

He also expressed surprise at the exclusion of Mukesh Kumar, who has an impressive red-ball record. “I’m surprised not to see Mukesh Kumar in the national squad, especially with the red ball. His domestic numbers are outstanding, and these conditions would have suited him. Hopefully, he gets his chance soon—he’s still a young pacer.”

On Gambhir’s curator tussle

Ganguly downplayed the incident involving Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval curator Lee Fortis. A pitch-side disagreement reportedly arose after Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak inspected the central square, during which Fortis, via a messenger, requested that they stay 2.5 meters away from the surface. This reportedly upset Gambhir.

Reacting to the incident, Ganguly said, “I really don’t know why Gambhir was upset. All coaches and captains talk to the groundsmen—sometimes it's cordial, sometimes not. It happened during my time as well. Let’s not blow it out of proportion. I just hope India plays well, wins the Test, and levels the series.”

India’s gritty batting efforts

India narrowly missed victory in the Lord’s Test, failing to chase a modest fourth-innings target of 193 by just 22 runs. They currently trail the series 1-2. In Manchester, the Indian batting unit displayed remarkable resilience, with KL Rahul scoring 90 and centuries from captain Shubman Gill (103), Washington Sundar (101*), and Ravindra Jadeja (107*) helping India bat through 143 overs to secure a draw.

“India should have won the Lord’s Test,” Ganguly lamented. “They played brilliantly in Manchester. It hurts to see them score over 400 on the fifth day in Manchester and then fall short of 190 at Lord’s. But if they bowl well, I’m confident they’ll win at The Oval.” He lauded the batting unit, which has produced 11 centuries in just four Tests—four by Gill, two each by Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, and one each from Jadeja, Sundar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“After a long time, I’ve seen an Indian batting line-up where everyone—from the top order to the lower order—is scoring Test centuries. It’s fantastic,” Ganguly said.

Shubman Gill’s leadership

Ganguly praised Shubman Gill’s leadership after the young batter took over the Test captaincy following Rohit Sharma’s retirement. He noted that the team had entered a transition phase, with the likes of Virat Kohli and R Ashwin also stepping away from the longest format.

“Gill has been outstanding. His captaincy and batting in this series have been superb. It shows that when you give someone responsibility, they rise to the occasion. It makes me proud to see the depth and quality in Indian cricket right now.”

Bengal’s Ranji quest & Abhimanyu easwaran’s future

When asked about Bengal’s continued inability to win the Ranji Trophy since 1989-90—when Ganguly made his debut—he pointed out that the team has reached the finals five times since. “They’ve reached the finals five times. It’s a tough tournament with 38 teams, so that itself shows Bengal is a strong side. I’ve personally played three finals after 1989-90,” Ganguly noted.

Regarding Bengal batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, who is travelling with the Indian squad in England, Ganguly said the top-order batter would eventually get his opportunity. “He will surely get his chance. I’m confident he’ll play Test cricket soon,” he concluded.

 

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