India’s selectors have named four spinners for next week’s one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, and the most experienced of the lot, Kuldeep Yadav, admits the switch from the frenetic Indian Premier League to the patience of first-class cricket is never straightforward.
“It is tough when you switch from IPL cricket to red-ball cricket,” Kuldeep told PTI during a media call arranged by JioHotstar. “Preparation becomes very necessary.”
That preparation time opened up because the left-arm wrist-spinner’s IPL 2026 was, by his own standards, lean. Ten wickets in 12 outings, an average north of 38 and an economy rate touching 10 meant Delhi Capitals finished outside the play-offs. The upside, he joked, was an early return to the practice nets.
“Luckily, I got time. I practised for at least 10 to 15 days, and got the feel of the red ball,” he said. “In T20, you are always attacking. You always think about going after the batter. You stay in the game with that mindset. But in Test cricket, it’s not like that. The batter has a lot of time.
“Some players are coming straight after the IPL final. They don’t have that much time. But I’m sure they have prepared well. So yes, it’s a challenge, but I’m confident that everyone is preparing themselves well.”
Key facts first
• One-off Test v Afghanistan starts next week at New Chandigarh.
• India’s spin attack: Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, plus uncapped left-armers Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar.
• Ravichandran Ashwin has retired, Ravindra Jadeja is rested, Axar Patel not selected.
Those absences leave India with a group long on promise, short on Test caps. Kuldeep and off-spinner Washington Sundar have 17 Tests each; Dubey and Suthar are uncapped at senior level, though both have clocked regular miles with India A.
“Yes, Jaddu bhai is not there as he is a regular Test player,” Kuldeep said. “We will also miss Axar Patel in the Test match. But the preparations have been good. Washy (Washington Sundar) is also playing Test cricket quite regularly now, so he is well settled in the set-up.
“Whenever a new player joins the team, your job is to make him comfortable. You want him to see you as a partner. If he has any problem, he should feel free to talk to you, and you must be ready to support him. Over the last two years, these young players [Dubey and Suthar] have been part of India A tours. They are also playing the Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy regularly.
“So there might be a lack of international experience, but when it comes to preparation, match awareness, or red-ball cricket, they are absolutely on top because they are playing regularly.”
Inside the spin huddle
For all India’s historical reliance on senior slow bowlers, the current group is visibly collaborative. Kuldeep, now 31, places plenty of emphasis on open, no-ego chats.
“We talk freely as a group, especially about the conditions,” he said. “If I want to test the youngsters, then I ask them questions regarding their understanding of the pitch, the weather conditions, and how the should team approach the match. Our conversations are mostly about basic tactics, what lengths to bowl, what pace works on this surface, and how spinners need to be patient in Test cricket. Patience is everything in this format.”
That emphasis on length and pace is hardly new, yet younger bowlers sometimes underrate how subtly those traits shift between the white-ball circuit and the longer game. The red SG ball used in home Tests tends to grip the surface a touch more than its Kookaburra or Dukes counterparts, encouraging overspin rather than side-spin, and often rewarding the bowler willing to bowl just a fraction slower through the air. Kuldeep referenced that implicitly when he spoke of “getting the feel” again, a small but telling phrase.
Broader context
This Afghanistan fixture sits in a lean slice of India’s Test calendar, wedged between an elongated IPL season and the start of the next World Test Championship cycle. With Ashwin’s departure leaving a statistical chasm—he finished with 516 Test wickets—India’s management appear intent on broadening the spin talent pool now rather than later. Suthar, 23, is a tall, high-release left-armer who turns the ball considerably; Dubey, 25, bowls flatter and quicker, not entirely unlike Axar.
Coaches have hinted that two, maybe even three spinners could play if the Sector 17 pitch shows its usual cupping cracks. Kuldeep, though, is pragmatic about selection.
“You can’t predict those things,” he said off-mic later. “If I play, good. If not, still fine. The job is to be ready.”
It was a low-key line that rather summed up the squad mood: grounded, focused, no talk of statements or score-settling. In an era where pre-series chatter can drift towards theatre, India’s current senior spinner seemed content to walk the old-fashioned road—get overs into the legs, find rhythm, keep talking to the bowlers around him.
And, above all, remember that simple red-ball mantra: patience is everything.
