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In a crucial second match of the India tour of Australia at Adelaide Oval, Australia won the toss and chose to bowl. India, still reeling from their loss in Perth, desperately need a win to level the series before the final game in Sydney.The Indian team has kept their lineup unchanged, sticking with three pacers and two spinners – Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. Nitish Reddy continues his role as the seam-bowling all-rounder. The team opted not to include Kuldeep Yadav in the playing eleven.LIVE: India vs Australia 2nd ODIKuldeep’s absence followed by the inclusion of Xavier Bartlett in the Australian lineup became point of frustration for Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. The politician questioned the Indian selectors for not picking Kuldeep while using Bartlett’s example, who took two wickets – of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli – in a single over.
Shashi Tharoor questioned the Indian selectors for not picking Kuldeep Yadav for the second ODI between India and Australia. (Image: X)
“So Xavier Bartlett took just four balls to show the Indian selectors the idiocy of their decision to leave out the most potent match-winner in their squad, @imkuldeep18, in favour of a journeyman pacer like Rana. It was wrong to omit Kuldeep in England & it is absurd not to pick him in Adelaide. Awful,!” wrote Shashi Tharoor on X.Australia, meanwhile, made three changes to their squad. Alex Carey is back as wicketkeeper, while Adam Zampa returns as leg spinner. Bartlett also joins the team. Josh Philippe, Matt Kuhnemann, and Nathan Ellis have been dropped from the side. The Aussies aim to wrap up the series with another win here.The Adelaide Oval pitch could work in India’s favour. It’s known as one of Australia’s best batting tracks and shares similarities with subcontinent conditions. This familiarity might give India the boost they need after their disappointing performance in Perth.The home team looks determined to seal the series victory before heading to Sydney for the final match. India, on the other hand, must win to keep their hopes alive in the three-match series.
