X-factor, gamechanger and other such accolades from experts underline how valued a bowler Kuldeep Yadav is at present in world cricket. Questions were also raised from some quarters on the chinaman bowler’s absence from the XI in the series opener of India’s ongoing Test tour of England.

Whether Kuldeep’s presence in Leeds would have made a huge difference in the game or not is tough to say. But in the second Test at Edgbaston, beginning on Wednesday, the left-arm spinner’s chances of being drafted into the XI are quite high.

Whether he will replace seamer all-rounder Shardul Thakur or some other player remains to be seen, but the kind of spinner Kuldeep is, his style of bowling may work better for India.

Assuming Kuldeep will be there in the XI at Edgbaston, he certainly has to keep in mind the adjustments he needs to make in those conditions. In terms of his Test-match experience so far in England, it's the lone 2018 Lord's Test, where he had bowled only nine overs going wicketless.

"Kuldeep practised under my supervision in Kanpur for two-three days after the IPL. I told him categorically about focusing on giving the ball a good bit of flight. Going flatter like in T20s and one-dayers is just not the way in this format, and he has to put that out of his head totally," Kuldeep's long-time coach Kapil Panday said from Kanpur on Sunday.

"We also touched upon the importance of spot bowling in those conditions, which is about consistently landing the ball in the good-length areas, making it tougher for the batters to hit. Now, that good-length spot may vary from batsman to batsman, which he knows well and will work on it."

No doubt, the 30-year-old looks sharper and wiser in terms of his bowling. But white-ball cricket is what Kuldeep has played primarily since returning to international cricket earlier in February.

Following his recovery from a groin injury, which ruled him out for three months, Kuldeep has played just one red-ball game, featuring in Uttar Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy clash against Madhya Pradesh in Indore from January 30-February 2. The Bengaluru Test against New Zealand last October was his last appearance in the format before being laid low by injury.

For eight months, Kuldeep hasn't played a Test. However, that shouldn't be a hindrance to his performance, his coach believes.

"No matter which format you play, the process of bowling remains the same. Spin, rotation and drift are among the essential components of spin bowling, and these are what a spinner should bear in mind," Panday stated.

The attacking bowler that Kuldeep is, one key element of his game is his focus on picking up wickets rather than looking to contain. At any stage of the game, the left-armer has the ability to produce that one delivery, which leaves the opposition batsman with very little to do. Then there's his wrong'un, which has helped him trap several batters LBW even in his short Test career (13 matches) so far.

England are rightly in a better frame of mind, having chased down as many as 371 at Headingley to go one up in the series. But when they face Kuldeep, the task of dealing with his wrist-spin awaits their batsmen. And, it's something they are not too comfortable with.

Even former England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar and Australia ex-captain Michael Clarke have recently spoken of the English batters' weaknesses against wrist-spin, which Kuldeep is quite capable of exploiting.

"That's, of course, one point. Also, the English batsmen, given their style of play, have every possibility of coming down the track against Kuldeep to score quick runs. That gives him more opportunity to have them stumped as he has the wrong'un, which goes/spins away from the right-handers, while he can beat them in flight too," Panday explained.

If the conditions at Edgbaston suggest the pitch will flatten quickly, what Kuldeep brings to the table could play a critical role for Team India. First and foremost, they need to tighten up their bowling going forward in this Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.