Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has weighed in on India’s selection dilemma ahead of the second ODI against Australia, suggesting ways to bring Kuldeep Yadav back into the playing XI. Kuldeep, who was benched in the series opener, missed out as India opted for three all-rounders to maintain batting depth and bowling flexibility.
On his YouTube channel, Irfan outlined two potential options for India to accommodate Kuldeep. “According to me, India have two main ways to include Kuldeep Yadav in the team. The first is to replace Washington Sundar directly. The other option is to rest one of the three pacers — Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, or Harshit Rana — to make room for Kuldeep,” he explained.
Irfan further elaborated that if India chooses the second route, the team can still retain batting depth, with Sundar slotting in at No. 8 and Nitish Kumar Reddy acting as the third seamer.
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“I am strongly advocating for Kuldeep Yadav because he’s a genuine attacking option. Even in Perth, we saw that spinners can make an impact — it’s not like they can’t perform on such pitches,” Irfan added.
He also noted that the team’s balance in the first ODI was influenced by the fact that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer were all returning to international cricket after a significant break. The management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, prioritised extra batting options to support the top order.
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Historically, India has performed well at the Adelaide Oval, winning nine out of their 15 matches there. However, fitting Kuldeep — who boasts 181 wickets in 113 ODIs — into Gambhir’s multi-skilled, batting-deep lineup remains a challenge.
Irfan Pathan’s suggested 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.
