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Shubman Gill’s maiden outing as India’s ODI captain ended on a disappointing note, with the visitors succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat against Australia in a rain-hit encounter at Perth. The result exposed shortcomings in both departments, as India’s batting faltered and the bowlers failed to apply pressure. Team selection also raised eyebrows, with Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusion proving costly. The management’s decision to prefer Washington Sundar for his batting depth over Kuldeep’s proven wicket-taking ability drew widespread scrutiny. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif came down hard on the bowling unit, criticising the reliance on part-timers and pointing out that victories cannot always hinge on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif labelled Nitish Kumar Reddy “not a complete bowler” and felt the rest of the attack lacked bite on a surface offering help.
“In this team, there were too many part-time options. Nitish Reddy is not a complete bowler, and even Sundar struggled to make an impact on this pitch. Harshit Rana would be disappointed too. The bowlers had a chance to turn the game around, even with a low total. But when will they take that responsibility? You can’t expect to win only when Bumrah or Shami are playing,” Kaif remarked.
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Should Kuldeep Yadav have played in the ODI against Australia?
India were restricted to 136 for 9 in 26 overs amid multiple rain interruptions. The DLS adjustment handed Australia a revised target of 131, which they comfortably chased in 21.1 overs. For India, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar picked up a wicket apiece, while KL Rahul (38), Axar Patel (31), and Nitish Reddy (19*) provided brief resistance with the bat. Kaif also took aim at Gill’s leadership, questioning the tactical decision to bench Kuldeep Yadav. He drew parallels with Shane Warne’s success in Australian conditions, stressing that match-winning bowlers make the real difference. “It was a test of Gill as captain too. He didn’t pick Kuldeep, a genuine wicket-taker. You tried to cover every base but missed the key element. Shane Warne thrived in Australia across formats. I was disappointed Kuldeep didn’t play. Kuhnemann got two wickets, and by leaving Kuldeep out, India chose quantity over quality,” Kaif said.
