India opted for Washington Sundar and Axar Patel as spinners in the first ODI.
Amidst India’s batting depth obsession under the current management, Kuldeep Yadav has suffered the most across formats. He has been at his peak as a bowler and still doesn’t get consistent games, even in white-ball cricket, because the team wants more batting options somewhere at No.8.
During the first ODI against Australia in Perth, they opted to play Washington Sundar over Kuldeep to prolong the batting, but Sundar was ineffective with both bat and ball. The shocking part was that India didn’t have any wrist spinners in the XI, and finger spinners playing didn’t bring high wicket-taking value.
During the pre-match press conference ahead of the Adelaide ODI, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was asked whether the management should show more trust in Nitish Kumar Reddy’s bowling to accommodate Kuldeep. Kotak replied that the team checks the pitch condition while forming an XI, and it’s more about team balance rather than individual performance.
“After seeing the wicket, you check the team balance to determine whether you need a batter or an all-rounder at No.8, and the team is decided based on it. So, after looking at the wicket situation and team balance, the head coach and captain discuss. Basically, it’s more on the balance of the team rather than an individual.”
In the previous game, India opted for Washington Sundar and Axar Patel as spinners, both of whom bring more batting value, but they are not wicket-takers in white-ball formats. At best, they can bowl accurately and contain the batters, but even that’s arduous against this Australia lineup on nice batting decks.
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So, India need a genuine wicket-taker in the middle overs to partner one of the finger spinners and make the XI more dynamic, and Kuldeep Yadav is the best option for the role. In his current form, he is capable of taking wickets against any opponent at any venue, and his improved pace variation can be more than handy on Australian decks.
To include him in the XI, India must drop Washington Sundar, who is not a pace hitter and can’t act as a finisher anyway, and bring Kuldeep at No.8. Sundar’s batting value is more vital in the longest format, where his superior technique allows him to apply himself at the crease, but he has never been a power hitter.
Meanwhile, Nitish should bowl more overs since the team is grooming him as an all-rounder anyway, and once Kuldeep plays, India will more often ensure to restrict the opponent’s batting unit. It’s hard to see them needing so many batters all the time, and Kuldeep is too good to be left out to have Sundar, who doesn’t even fit in the required batting role.
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