Shivam Dube picked one wicket with the ball against England in the first ODI for India.
Former India spinner R. Ashwin has stated that the Men in Blue have many other better options for pace all-rounders for the 2027 ICC World Cup, and if Shivam Dube is one of the contenders, then the Indian team is in trouble.
Ashwin's words came after India's six-wicket victory in the first ODI over England in Birmingham. Shivam Dube was included in the India squad for the series because Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy were sidelined by injuries. In the first game, he even bowled six overs and picked one wicket for 27 runs.
Ashwin said that if Shubman Gill and the Indian management were thinking about using Dube as an all-rounder at the 2027 World Cup, they would be in serious trouble.
"If I am being very honest, if Shivam Dube is a contender, then we are in a spot of bother. The first choice will always be Hardik and the second Nitish Kumar Reddy. They also used Suryansh Shedge a bit as an option. I liked what they did with Dube. Go to him if Hardik and Nitish are injured. I loved him getting six overs and the way they utilized him. But he will be the last fancied choice for that all-rounder slot in ODIs," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Washington Sundar, who batted at number five in the first game, would have to stay there to fit into the team once Hardik returned, according to Ashwin, because he lacks the power-hitting ability to play at number seven.
Ashwin went on to say that he would rather have Axar Patel bowl ten overs than Sundar because someone batting at seven should also bowl ten overs. But he believed that in order to assess how Sundar would bat at seven, India needed to give him more opportunities.
“Sundar has batted well, and he always does. He has that class. All said. But if he wants to play in the ODI side, he will have to bat within the top five. He is not a great power hitter who can bat at seven. If someone has to bat at seven, he also needs to bowl ten overs. That is why Axar is a fancied number seven. You have to play Sundar at five.
So, you play KL Rahul at six. Tomorrow, if Hardik is back, he slots in at six, then KL goes to five, and Sundar will not have a place. Even in that case, if you want a replacement for Axar, it has to be a left-arm spinner who can bat at seven. So, I hope Sundar is given chances where he will actually be used. Play him at seven and see how he bats there. That is where role clarity and definition are slightly missing,” Ashwin stated.
Gurnoor Brar, a promising Indian bowler, received nothing but praise from Ashwin. In the opening ODI against England, the right-arm quick was included in the starting lineup. Ashwin made a bold assertion, saying that if Gurnoor were given proper care in the future, he may serve the nation for a very long period.
"Gurnoor has been very impressive. He is a tall bowler, too. This is his first tour, and he will be expensive, but he has it in him. He will be a real champion bowler for India, not only in this format, but he can do well in red-ball cricket as well. I hope we can look after him very well without injuries, as he can serve Indian cricket for a while," he said.
Gurnoor picked 2/61 in his 9 overs in the first ODI, taking the wickets of Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell.