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India’s legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was not happy with head coach Gautam Gambhir & Co. for team selection in the first ODI of the series against Australia at Perth Stadium. The omission of an in-form Kuldeep Yadav irked Ashwin and wondered how many all-rounders does India need in their playing XI that they take their focus away from bowling attack.
“I can understand why there are two spinners playing in the team, along with Nitish Reddy. They want that batting depth, because Axar and Washington can bat, but bowling ke upar bhi thoda dhyan dedo yaar (concentrate on bowling as well). In these big grounds, if Kuldeep can’t bowl with a lot of freedom, then where will he play? And there will be overspin, which will get him more bounce," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“See, I understand that they will talk about this batting depth, but if that is going to help you win games, then batters should be able to take the responsibility. If they are playing extra batters, then they are again shielding the batting line-up. I will always say, play your best bowlers. Don’t pick a player only because you want to extend your batting. Kitne all-rounders chaiye aapko (How many all-rounders do you want)? You already have three. Even after having Nitish in the side, if you can’t play your best bowlers, then I can’t get it at all," he added.
While it was the batting department that faltered, starting with top order collapse, three Indian bowlers remained wicketless. Mohammed Siraj delivered a maiden and was slightly economical. Harshit Rana who was picked over Kuldeep remained wicketless and conceded 27 runs from four overs. On-debut Nitish Kumar Reddy conceded 16 runs from 2.1 overs.
Ashwin fears the worst for Kuldeep
Ashwin worries for Kuldeep's mindset. He feels that the wrist spinner may start questioning himself if he does not get regular chances despite proving his mettle.
“I feel when a player gets dropped, he or she questions themselves: “Am I the reason the team will lose?" Kuldeep might have the same question in mind. If, after such good performances, he gets dropped and someone else gets a chance, he might be thinking he is the problem in the team. Whether he is or not is different, but this very thing causes a lot of debate within. It can be very crushing, and not many players can handle it. Keep direct communication with him," the 39-year-old said.
The second ODI of the series at Adelaide Oval. India may look to tinker with the playing eleven. The last time Kuldeep played an ODI on Australia soil was in 2020.
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