Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra has said that the Indian team could make two changes to their playing XI for the fifth T20I against the West Indies. He also added that the hosts would have to play three specialist seamers considering the conditions in Bengaluru as well. The final T20I between India and the West Indies is scheduled to take place
at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Since Arshdeep has gone, you will have to make one automatic change. That change is very simple – Bhuvneshwar comes in and you make him bowl with the new ball. Mayank Yadav will be at the other end. Then, will we see Prince Yadav playing, or will you bring in Kuldeep Yadav? I think that’s a million-dollar question.”
“I think it will depend a lot on how the surface emerges from under the covers. The practice was canceled because of rain. The covers haven’t been removed at all, and there is moisture on the pitch. So, even though you might want to play Kuldeep, you will have to play another fast bowler. So, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – I see the three of them playing,” he further added.
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However, Aakash Chopra also stated that the fourth T20I between India and the West Indies might have had a different result had Kuldeep Yadav been played as well.
“Kuldeep has skill. When we see the West Indies batters, who hit big shots, had Kuldeep been there in Hyderabad, he might have trapped them because it’s a decent-sized ground, and to be fair, the pitch wasn’t that flat. So things might have been different had Kuldeep been available,” he said.
“There is only one way of bringing in Kuldeep Yadav. That is to compromise a batter, and it would be fine if a batter isn’t there at No. 8. Will India do that? We just are totally against that thought. I feel that won’t happen. So, I am seeing only one change,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
