After suffering a resounding 4-1 loss against India, cricketing stalwart Geoffrey Boycott didn’t mince words when discussing England’s debacle, pinpointing their struggle against Kuldeep Yadav’s wizardry as a major factor. Kuldeep’s enigmatic spin wreaked havoc, claiming 19 wickets across four Tests and proving instrumental in India’s dominance. His five-wicket haul in the final Test in Dharamshala further cemented his impact.
Kuldeep Yadav dominated against England’s batters
Boycott expressed astonishment at England’s inability to decipher Kuldeep’s deliveries, noting their persistent struggle throughout the series. He emphasized that while facing a mystery spinner initially poses challenges, international batsmen should adapt swiftly. Disappointingly, England failed to evolve their approach, succumbing repeatedly to Kuldeep’s guile.
“I was amazed how many of them could not read the wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and by the end of the series were still no wiser. A bowler can be a mystery to you the first couple of times you have to face him. But at international level, batsmen should be able to find a way to work him out. Too many never looked comfortable against him and were reduced to staying back and trying to play him off the pitch,” Geoffrey Boycott highlighted in his column for The Telegraph.
Geoffrey Boycott
Boycott further criticized England’s batting strategy, suggesting they were overly aggressive throughout the series. He observed a lack of confidence in their defensive capabilities, leading them to adopt a risky approach centred on power-hitting. However, this approach backfired against quality spinners like Kuldeep, emphasizing the importance of a solid defensive technique.
“They (English batters) were not confident of their ability to defend, especially with fielders around the bat, so they looked to attack instead. That idea is fraught with danger against quality spinners. On flat batting pitches at home and in Pakistan and New Zealand our batsmen have had great fun. Indian pitches have been a bit different. Having a good defence is part of batting,” Geoffrey Boycott elaborated.
