KANPUR: Minutes before the start of India’s training session on a hot and humid Wednesday, skipper Rohit Sharma took local boy Kuldeep Yadav aside and asked him about the nature of the Green Park Stadium wicket which will play host to the second Test against Bangladesh.

The pitch has been known to be extremely unpredictable and every little tip helps. So, almost the entire team, including coach Gautam Gambhir, bowling coach Morne Morkel, batting coach Abhishek Nayar, and even Ravindra Jadeja gathered around Kuldeep, adjacent to pitch No.6, and discussed their plans.

Kuldeep didn’t play in the first Test at Chennai but his knowledge of ‘home’ conditions might give him an edge over Axar Patel when the team for the second Test is picked. After sharing his views, the left-arm wrist-spinner sweated it out with a long bowling session.

“Kuldeep’s knowledge about the Green Park wicket is beneficial for Team India, and he is the perfect choice for this wicket in this match,” said a groundsman, who overheard the Team India players’ discussion near the pitch. “Bowlers like Kuldeep will get adequate turn as well as bounce on this surface.”

The uncertainty over a place in the playing XI is something that Kuldeep has got used to over the years. In the last two years, the wrist-spinner has played just five Tests despite his form showing a steady uptick. In those matches, he has claimed 27 wickets at an average of 18.37.

Ordinarily, those numbers alone would make him hard to drop. But he, and perhaps Axar too, have perhaps the worst luck in the game. Ravichandran Ashwin (522 Test wickets) and Ravindra Jadeja (299) are showing no signs of slowing down. So despite both the younger spinners making their mark, for now, they need to wait.

While playing away from home, the opportunity to play three spinners comes along rarely. So when a chance does appear, Kuldeep, who is already 29, would love to grab it.

Axar’s batting gives him an edge and makes India’s batting even deeper. But from a pure bowling perspective, Kuldeep’s wrist spin gives India a whole different dimension. There’s something special about watching a bowler that the batters can’t read at all. They try to play him off the pitch and sometimes there’s still nothing they can do.

The angles Kuldeep brings into play are very different from Axar, he can turn the ball big and, on his day, quickly through the opposition. Of late, he seems more than ready to become a regular.

It was just in March earlier this year, when England were cruising at 100/1 in the Dharamsala Test. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett had done their thing and given them a 65-run opening stand. That is when Kuldeep got the breakthrough in his first -- he tossed it up, the batter went after it and as it so often happens, the wrist spinner got the wicket. He finished with 5/72 in the first innings and set the match up for India.

There is an impishness to his bowling that makes him an irresistible watch. There’s magic too and the home crowd would like nothing more than to see one of their own get a go.

For the first Test at Chennai, India went in with three seamers and only two spinners there. Akash Deep joined Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, while Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja led the spin-bowling attack. This time, they would be considering changing the make-up of the attack.

They could even consider resting Bumrah for the game. It would allow them to see what Akash is all about without the senior pro piling the pressure on the opposition. On the other hand, it will also keep Kuldeep or Axar in fine fettle.

“Look at Kuldeep’s record in Tests. He has been a consistent performer and enjoys his bowling on any given surface. His 53 wickets in 12 Tests since his debut in 2017, is ample proof of his calibre,” said his childhood coach Kapil Pandey on Wednesday.

“I find him to be a champion bowler on all surfaces. Time and again, he has proved his worth in the side, especially with his performance against England earlier this year when he took 19 wickets in four matches and made crucial contributions with the willow in the lower order,” said Pandey.

India have played 23 Tests in Kanpur and won seven of them while drawing 17. The last two Tests played at the venue went to the fifth day. New Zealand held India to a draw in 2021 and the Black Caps were beaten on the fifth day in 2016 at Green Park.

The statistics show that winning hasn’t always come easy in Kanpur but maybe India can trust a ‘home boy’ to take them home.

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