R Ashwin looked ineffective in the recently held ODI series against South Africa.
Ashwin featured in two of the three ODIs and returned with the figures of 1/53 and 0/68 as the visitors suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the 50-over series.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh was also critical of Ashwin, saying that the Indian team needs to look beyond the veteran off-spinner.
According to Harbhajan, India should go with wicket-taking options in middle-overs in ODI cricket and suggested the team to bring back the combination of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, popularly known as 'Kulcha'.
"I think these two guys (Ishant Sharma and Ashhwin) have done really well for Team India, whether you talk about Test cricket or ODIs. With all due respect to R Ashwin, I think he is a champion bowler, but in ODI cricket, I feel, it's time India start looking for an option, maybe someone who can take the ball in as well as out.
"Someone like Kuldeep Yadav could be a great option. Why don't we go back to Kulcha combination and see what they can bring to the table? They have won games for India. It will be a good thing to go back to them," Harbhajan told Sports Today.
"R Ashwin and Yuzi Chahal played in the South Africa series. They didn't create too many opportunities with the ball, they were a bit defensive with their approach. There were times when they could have attacked the opposition by putting in another slip or another man catching in. And of course, wickets were very, very true. There is no doubt about it.
"But no matter how the wickets are, if you're playing in the World Cup against any opposition, your job is to take wickets in the middle overs. It will come down to how you create opportunities as a bowler," he added.
"You need someone like Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal bowling in tandem. You can also bring in another X-factor, someone like Varun Chakravarthy, there is no harm trying him again. You played him in those 2-3 games in the World Cup and you decided okay, he is not good enough," he continued.
Team India haven't fielded Kuldeep and Chahal regularly together since the 2019 World Cup. The two wrist-spinners have played 36 ODIs together, claiming 125 wickets between them.
Harbhajan explained the need to pick up wickets regularly in the middle-overs in the 50-over format.
"We are missing that spark in the middle-overs where people are going for wickets rather than waiting for things to happen.
"When Kulcha played together, they were brilliant for the team in the middle-overs. Whenever they played together, they picked wickets and won games for India. I don't know why they fell apart, why they were not given the opportunities after the World Cup. Maybe it's time to bring them back or maybe some other X-factor who can take wickets in the middle-overs rather than just doing the containing work.
"If you don't take wickets in the middle-overs, I don't think you are going to win many games. It's also important to take wickets with the new ball which we were not capable of enough in the series in South Africa," he stated.
India’s next white-ball assignment is against the West Indies at home next month. The Men in Blue are due to play three ODIs and as many T20Is from February 6 to February 20.
(With India Today inputs)