"The big question is, why didn't you play him for so long?" - Aakash Chopra lauds star bowler's spell in AUS vs IND 2025 3rd T20I

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Arshdeep Singh for bowling a match-winning spell in the third T20I against Australia. He questioned the team management for leaving the left-arm seamer out of the playing XI in the first two games.

Arshdeep registered figures of 3/35 in four overs as India restricted Australia to 186/6 in the third T20I in Hobart on Sunday, November 2. The visitors achieved the target with five wickets and nine deliveries to spare to draw level in the five-match series.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener praised Arshdeep and wondered why the potent seamer hasn't been part of the country's preferred T20I XI lately.

"Arshdeep Singh, play him and get wickets. We are talking about that. Now you have played him and he has picked up wickets as well. In fact, 'Player of the Match' performance. This is what Arshdeep brings to the table, and again, the big question is, why didn't you play him for so long?" he said (7:50).

Chopra questioned why Arshdeep and Jasprit Bumrah are no longer playing in tandem, highlighting that the duo played all games in the 2024 T20 World Cup even when Ravindra Jadeja was playing as an all-rounder at No. 8.

"You are not playing him even after going to Australia and are sticking to your old plans. It's not like you weren't playing a batter at No. 8 always. When you won the T20 World Cup in 2024, Jadeja was at No. 8. Bumrah and Arshdeep used to play there. So what has happened suddenly that we can't play Bumrah and Arshdeep together?" he observed.

While Arshdeep Singh picked up three wickets in Sunday's game, Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless but conceded only 26 runs in his four overs. The left-arm seamer dismissed Travis Head (6 off 4) and Josh Inglis (1 off 7) with the new ball before getting rid of Marcus Stoinis (64 off 39) in the final over.

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"This was a big reminder that you shouldn't keep a bowler like Arshdeep Singh sitting out" - Aakash Chopra

Arshdeep Singh is India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Arshdeep Singh reminded the team management that he cannot be left out for long, especially in seam-friendly conditions.

"This was a big reminder that you shouldn't keep a bowler like Arshdeep Singh sitting out, and definitely not for an extended period of time. If the conditions are even slightly favorable for fast bowling, you should definitely play him. Even if they are not, but there are chances of dew, play him for sure," he said (8:30).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that India need to play two frontline seamers in Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep to bowl four overs with the new ball and as many overs at the death.

"In T20 matches, I feel you need fast bowlers for four overs both at the top and the tail. So you need eight overs of proper fast bowling. It means Bumrah and Arshdeep should play together in all conditions. The pitches were spin-friendly in the entire World Cup, but Arshdeep still played, and he was India's leading wicket-taker," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that India managed with three spinners in the Asia Cup 2025. However, he claimed that the standard in the continental event wasn't good enough, highlighting that there was no competition, and that the ground would be dewy in the T20 World Cup in February-March next year.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer