"You need wicket-taking spinners" - Aakash Chopra on whether India should play Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal together
Aakash Chopra feels India need wicket-taking spinners and should consider playing Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in tandem in ODI cricket.
India fielded Chahal in their playing XI in Friday's (November 25) first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland. The leg-spinner went wicketless and conceded 67 runs in his 10 overs as the Men in Blue failed to defend a 307-run target and lost the match by seven wickets.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked whether India should once again try to play Kuldeep and Chahal together as they did in 2018, to which he responded:
"I agree with you 110% because you need wicket-taking spinners. You can take yesterday's example, although Chahal was there at one end, but when you have two together, things are different."
The former Indian batter reckons the two wrist-spinners will fit in nicely in India's bowling attack for the 2023 ODI World Cup at home, explaining:
"Of course, these were different conditions at Eden Park in Auckland but when you will play the 2023 World Cup, it will be in India. You might need two spinners there. So there you have these two spinners, two proper fast bowlers, then an all-rounder in the form of Hardik Pandya and you will have a place for another all-rounder."
Chopra added that either Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja can play the spin-bowling all-rounder's role along with Kuldeep and Chahal. He observed:
"You can definitely think about it, there is nothing wrong in that. I will be very tempted. You can have Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7, then two spinners and two fast bowlers, and another fast bowler in Hardik - six proper bowling options. It's not a bad idea, please keep them in the mix."
Chahal and Kuldeep last played an ODI together during India's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021. While the Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner picked up three wickets in that game, the Delhi Capitals' left-arm wrist-spinner went wicketless.
"It's not the right thing to do" - Aakash Chopra on Kuldeep and Chahal's non-selection for the ODI series against Bangladesh
Chopra concluded by expressing his disappointment over Kuldeep and Chahal's non-selection for the forthcoming ODI series against Bangladesh, saying:
"The problem is that they are currently there in New Zealand but neither of them is there in Bangladesh. Why they are not there, I have got no idea. I am slightly disappointed that if you are not taking your wicket-taking spinners to Bangladesh, I think it's not the right thing to do."
There was a time when ODIs were on peak when Virat kohli make tons for fun and chahal - kuldeep duo wins us matches,
Nothing is interesting left in this format!
The selectors have opted not to pick a wrist-spinner for the ODI series against the Tigers. Axar Patel, Shahbaz Ahmed and Sundar are the three finger-spinners in India's squad.