"Arshdeep's utilization left me baffled" - Former India opener questions Shubman Gill's tactics in IND vs AUS 2025 1st ODI

Former India opener Aakash Chopra was baffled with Shubman Gill's utilization of Arshdeep Singh in the first ODI against Australia in Perth. Referring to the fact that the left-arm seamer bowler only two of the first 16 overs in Australia's chase, Chopra opined that Gill made a big tactical error.

Australia beat India by seven wickets [DLS method] in Perth on Sunday, October 19 in the first ODI of the three-match series. Bowling first after winning the toss, the Aussies held India to 136-9 in a game that was reduced to 26 overs per side. Chasing a revised target of 131, Australia cantered home in 21.1 overs.

Arshdeep gave India faint hopes by dismissing Travis Head for eight early in Australia's chase. However, he was taken out of the attack after bowling just two overs. Slamming Gill's captaincy in a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra said:

"Arshdeep Singh bowled only two of the first 16 overs. He claimed a wicket in one of them. I could not understand the thinking. The total wasn't big enough to hold him back. He was bowling well and one bowler could bowl six overs. I thought Arshdeep would be that bowler because he had claimed a wicket. I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that he bowled only two of the first 16 overs."

The 48-year-old was, however, not too critical of Harshit Rana, who registered figures of 0-27 from four overs. Claiming that the young right-arm fast bowler did a decent job, he said:

"Harshit Rana, he bowled well. I won't judge him over the fact that he did not get a wicket. Sometimes, you bowl well, but the wickets do not fall in your kitty. Sometimes, you don't bowl well, but get wickets. But Arshdeep's utilization left me baffled."

Arshdeep ended the Perth ODI with figures of 1-31 from five overs, while Axar Patel claimed 1-19 in four overs and Washington Sundar 1-14 in two.

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India's batting crumbled against Australia's pace in Perth

Sent into bat by Australia in a stop-start match in Perth, India never got going. Rohit Sharma (8) was caught at second slip off Josh Hazlewood, while Virat Kohli perished for a duck. He flashed at one wide outside off from Mitchell Starc and only managed to get a thick outside edge, which was held at backward point.

Skipper Shubman Gill (10) also perished cheaply in his first outing as ODI captain. He was strangled down leg off Nathan Ellis, while Shreyas Iyer (11) gloved a short ball off Hazlewood to the keeper. Axar (31) and KL Rahul (38) combined to give the Indian innings some respectability.

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Edited by Renin Wilben Albert