Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan had shared his preferred India playing XI for the second ODI against Australia. This match will be played in Adelaide on October 23 and sees Australia leading the three-match series 1-0.
To combine batting depth with a range of bowling options, India selected three all-rounders and benched Kuldeep in the first ODI in Perth, which they lost. Axar Patel, Nitish Reddy, and Washington Sundar were the all-rounders, along with Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Ran, and Arshdeep Singh as the pacers.
This left Shubman Gill with no attacking bowlers in the middle overs to take wickets.
Irfan Pathan offered two ways India could include Kuldeep Yadav in the starting lineup for the Adelaide ODI. He also shared his reasons why the left-arm spinner was needed by India in their playing XI.
Pathan stated that India can either bench Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, or Harshit Rana, or replace Washington Sundar with Kuldeep Yadav, to make room for the wrist-spinner in the starting XI for the second ODI against Australia.
“How can we make space for Kuldeep Yadav in the team? According to me, India has 2 ways to include Kuldeep in the playing XI. Firstly, they can bring him in for Washington Sundar. Otherwise, one of three pacers, Siraj, Arshdeep, or Rana, has to sit out. With this option, India has the batting depth that they prefer since Sundar will be there at No. 8 and Reddy will become the third seamer," Irfan said on his YouTube channel.
“I am advocating for Kuldeep Yadav because he is such an attacking option. We saw even in Perth that a spinner took a wicket; it isn’t as if spinners cannot function there. The reason why India didn’t go with five proper frontline bowlers in the first ODI is that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer are playing after several months," Irfan added.
Kuldeep Yadav has 181 wickets in 113 ODIs for India, including the best bowling of 6/25. Adelaide Oval has been a good hunting ground for India, having won nine out of their 15 games at the venue.
Irfan Pathan’s India playing XI vs Australia:
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
