Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar - who should India pick in their XI for AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI?

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Team India will face Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19. The Men in Blue do not have much to tweak in a relatively well-settled ODI unit, but a change in conditions and combination leads to an inevitable selection conundrum, primarily concerning the bowling department in this instance.

The majority of the bowling unit select themselves in the playing XI with the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Axar Patel to forge the core. However, there is some serious competition over the rest of the vacant spots, one of which is among Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav for the role of the second spinner.

Both players recently excelled while co-fucntioning during the home Test series against the West Indies, but the chances of both of them featuring together in the upcoming clash are highly unlikely.

On that note, let us take a look at a few factors that will resolve the selection conundrum concerning the spin department ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI.

#1 Team India's fascination for all-rounders

While all-rounders have always been revered in Indian cricket, this might just be the best time to become one, across formats. Team India's playing XI, regardless of conditions, situation, or format, has prioritized the inclusion of as many all-rounders as feasible to strengthen the depth and balance of the side.

As things stand, India are primed to have two all-rounders in their setup in Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The left-arm spinner is a crucial member across both departments and a reliable floater in ODIs, while a seam bowling all-rounder is mandatory in pacy and bouncy conditions in Australia.

Since featuring three spinners is not feasible in such conditions, India can only include one of Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, and if their recent selection trend is any indication, it will be the former that gets the nod. The primary reason being the infamous No.8 spot because India cannot tolerate a long tail under any circumstances, especially in foreign conditions.

Although India have the option of featuring Harshit Rana in that particular role, there is not enough to show that he is capable of featuring at No.8, and the team would much rather have a proven candidate like Washington Sundar for the same. The pacer's batting ability could even come in handy at No.9, as that is the level of depth that the Indian team aspires for.

There might have been a chance for Kuldeep to feature if Harshit Rana was a trusted fit for the No.8 role. However, as things stand, India need a stronger presence for that position, allowing them to field three frontline pacers, with the third choice being either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna, with Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh leading the pack.

#2 What do the conditions dictate?

The fast and bouncy pitch in Perth comes across as an antithesis for someone with the bowling profile of Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm spinner's prowess is such that he has the ability to make things work where there is not much turn on offer, but this might just be too much of a stretch even for him.

Additionally, Kuldeep's past ODI record in Australia is also not strong enough to warrant a case for him. Although the sample size is small and he has evolved as a bowler since, there is not much to suggest his inclusion over Washington Sundar. In three ODIs Down Under, the wrist spinner has taken three wickets at an average of 59 and an economy rate of 5.90.

Sundar, on the other hand, with his tall frame, can extract bounce off the surface and also generate some serious drift, which could prove to be a handful in such conditions. The all-rounder is not renowned for his ability to turn the ball, which augurs well for the team since there might not be much on offer from that perspective anyway.

The all-rounder has played only four matches outside the subcontinent in his ODI career, and while there is nothing exceptional in those numbers, it is ideal for someone who has to play a supporting role since the pacers will be doing the heavy work. In four matches, played in New Zealand and South Africa, Sundar has taken two wickets with an economy of just 4.17.

#3 Containment vs Wicket-Taking

Should India go heavy with all-rounders in the setup for the sake of their batting depth, they will have to compromise wicket-taking ability in the middle overs. If they feel they have enough batting to make up for whatever extra runs Australia might amass due to a lack of potency in the middle overs, then Washington Sundar is the way to go.

Washington Sundar might be able to bring control with his bowling, and keep things in check for a while across any phase of the game, but India will lack a genuine wicket-taking option with that route.

Kuldeep Yadav, albeit his inferior record in Australia, is still a force to be reckoned with as he makes the opposition batters on edge with his variations and tempts them into making mistakes.

All said and done, the selection will head towards the factor which India considers a bigger priority.

Conclusion: Given that India have an inexperienced all-rounder in Nitish Kumar Reddy, they might lean even more towards batting depth, and have a solid No.8 in the setup, who can also be an asset with the ball, and Washington Sundar fits the profile more than any other candidate in the squad. The conditions are another factor that helps the team make their decision, as it does not leave much for Kuldeep Yadav to exploit.

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Gokul Nair

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