Michael Vaughan Slams India’s 'Safe' Selection, Questions Kuldeep Yadav Snub Despite Dry Edgbaston Pitch

India excluded Kuldeep Yadav from the 2nd Test XI at Edgbaston, opting for batting depth. Michael Vaughan criticised the move as 'safe,' arguing the dry pitch suited a wrist-spinner. Despite the debate, India ended Day 1 strongly at 310/5.

IND vs ENG: As the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy kicked off at Edgbaston on Wednesday, July 3, the Indian team made bold changes but not bold enough for some. Despite widespread calls to include Kuldeep Yadav after Ravindra Jadeja's lacklustre performance in the series opener, the wrist-spinner was once again left out of the playing XI.

India Make Three Changes, Leave Out Kuldeep

The team management opted to rest Jasprit Bumrah to manage his workload, and dropped Shardul Thakur and Sai Sudharsan from the playing XI. In came Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar, giving the side more depth in both pace and batting.

Shubman Gill, leading the side, explained at the toss that the decision to include Sundar was to strengthen the lower middle order, adding more batting cushion at No. 8.

Michael Vaughan Questions ‘Safe’ Selection

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, speaking on Sony Sports Network, was critical of the decision to overlook Kuldeep Yadav. He believed the dry Edgbaston pitch would have suited a wrist-spinner and labelled the call as “playing it safe.”

“Not playing Kuldeep is a safe decision. They've not picked what I believe is a bowler that could easily get 6 or 7 wickets in a Test match,” Vaughan said.

“You have to get 20 wickets. The pitch is pretty dry. Surely you have to play a leg-spinner. I think India have gone for a safe selection.”

‘Batting Wasn’t the Problem’ - Vaughan Doubles Down

Vaughan further added that India’s issues in the first Test were not related to their batting. Instead of reinforcing a strong batting lineup, he felt the management should have addressed bowling variety and gone in with a risk-taking mindset.

“When a team goes behind and starts losing, you start selecting for safety. The only way to break that losing pattern is to take risks.”

“I think this is a very safe selection. It might work, they might bat great but it's not the batting that was the problem at Headingley.”

India Post Strong Start Despite Selection Debate

England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first. India, however, responded well. Shubman Gill struck a magnificent century (114*), and Yashasvi Jaiswal chipped in with a fluent 87. Ravindra Jadeja, under scrutiny for his performance, remained unbeaten on 41 at stumps. India closed Day 1 at 310/5, looking to build on a solid platform despite questions looming about their bowling options heading into the latter half of the match.

With England leading the five-match series 1–0, all eyes will be on how India’s gamble with an extra batting option plays out. If the dry pitch turns later in the game, the absence of Kuldeep Yadav may prove costly just as Vaughan fears. The decision to prioritise batting depth over bowling variety could define India’s fortunes not just in this Test, but for the remainder of the series.