Nottingham: Former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi has advised young chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav to play more first-class matches if he wants to have a long and successful Test career.

Doshi, who played 33 Tests and 15 ODIs, heaped praise on captain Virat Kohli and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for their performances in the ongoing Test series against England.

In an exclusive interview with MyNation, during the third Test between India and England at Trent Bridge, the 70-year-old Doshi, who is settled in England, spoke about spin bowling, Indian cricket, Kohli, Ashwin, Kuldeep and others.

Excerpts

My Nation: After a long time India have a wrist spinner in the team. How do you look at wrist spin and the future of Indian spin bowlers?

Dilip Doshi: If you can’t read spinners then you will get out to them irrespective of whether it a finger spinner or a wrist spinner. My personal view is that the quality of spin bowling is on the decline. At the moment we have good spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the Indian team but there is hardly anyone from the domestic circuit to challenge them. Test cricket is a different ball game. You have to keep raising the bar in first-class cricket to prepare yourself for national duty in the five-day format. Only then you can perform at the international level.

MN: Are you happy with the way Ravichandran Ashwin has bowled in the ongoing Test series in England?

DD: He has performed well in this Test series against England. The way he has moulded himself in the current series is incredible. He keeps making changes to his bowling and tries to focus on his stock balls (off-break). As a spinner, in Test cricket, the stock ball is your wicket-taking ball. He is taking 98% of his wickets through his stock balls, which is a good sign. He knows what he is doing and he is getting positive results. It is good for the Indian team.

MN: What about Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling?

DD: He’s yet to mature as a Test bowler. He’s bowling very slow in the air. I am not blaming him for this but he’s young and he has a lot to learn. You cannot experiment in Test cricket. In one-dayers and T20s it is fine but in Tests you need to have one strong weapon which Ashwin has. Kuldeep needs to play more first-class matches if he wishes to have a long Test career.

MN: Ravindra Jadeja is an orthodox spinner like you. He has not got a chance so far in the series. Should he play in the last two Tests?

DD: He’s a good bowler with few variations. Next two Test matches he might play. The Oval wicket for the fifth Test is suitable for him. But one concern about him is that he’s bowling very straight.

MN: Indian captain Virat Kohli has been on a run-scoring spree. There is no sign of him stopping at all. What are your views on his rise in international cricket?

DD: Why should he stop? Do you think he needs to stop? He’s enjoying a golden period in his career. There is a no doubt that he’s hungry for runs, especially in English conditions after he had a poor series in 2014. He was struggling against swing bowling on the previous tour but he’s totally a different batsman now. After the disappointment in 2014, he has scored heavily in all conditions. I enjoy his batting.