Matthew Hayden feels Kuldeep Yadav might take 20 wickets in India’s next five-match Test series against England in the United Kingdom. The first Test begins on June 20 in Headingley, Leeds.

Following Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement, Kuldeep is set to play more Test cricket. He is the only specialist spinner in the team, while Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja are spin-bowling all-rounders. Kuldeep, India’s only wristspinner, might be the deciding factor against the English batsmen.

“Looking ahead, I’m quite interested in what India contributes to England. Five Tests is a difficult series that puts characters to the test. “We discussed it earlier; someone like Kuldeep Yadav could be a key 20-wicket bowler for them,” Hayden told NDTV Sports.

The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that the presence of a competent spinner makes a significant impact. He mentioned how Australia missed Nathan Lyon during the 2023 Ashes in England.

The experienced off-spinner was injured during the second Test and missed the rest of the series. Australia had a 2-0 advantage after winning the first two Tests. However, in Lyon’s absence, they lost two of the last three matches, resulting in a thrilling series finish of 2-2.

“We’ve benefited from Lyon’s steadiness, and his absence from the last Ashes demonstrated the consequences of losing a solid spinner. “The best teams, throughout history, have always had one thing in common: stability,” remarked the former Australian opener.

Matthew Hayden previews the WTC final.

Ahead of India-England, Australia and South Africa will meet off in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on Wednesday, June 11. Hayden wondered how long Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja would be able to play, given that they are nearing the end of their careers. However, the great former cricketer believes Australia will do well in the final because of their balanced bowling attack.

“We still have a core group on the side, but things are shifting in certain ways. How long will Steve Smith or Usman Khawaja continue to play? These are the characters sitting in that area, which Stephen (Steve Waugh) and I have been in, as has Virat. We’ve all experienced a challenge when we realised it’s time to move on,” Hayden explained.

“But for this cycle, Australia has been the dominant squad. I base this primarily on the notion that you need to take 20 wickets to win a Test, and this side boasts a world-class pace trio, similar to Stephen’s (Steve Waugh’s) heyday. They also have a world-class spinner, and I’m sure we all appreciate Nathan Lyon‘s abilities. “That’s been such an important part of how Australian teams are built,” he said.