India vs Australia: Harbhajan Singh Questions Krunal Pandya's Inclusion In Playing XI For First T20I

Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh has criticised India’s decision to drop Yuzvendra Chahal for Krunal Pandya in the playing eleven for the first T20I against Australia.

Team India sprung a huge surprise on Wednesday by including Krunal Pandya in the team at the expense of Yuzvendra Chahal. Krunal had made his T20I debut during the series against Windies earlier this month. And although, he played all the three games, he could not make much of a mark. The allrounder picked up one wicket in the first game but went wicketless in the following two while conceding 40 and 55 runs.

But the team-management cared little about the stats as it pinned its hope on Krunal instead of proven Chahal. And unfortunately, the move badly backfired. Krunal ended up conceding 55 runs in four overs including three sixes in a row in his third over. He also failed to pick up a single wicket. His costly spell made the difference in the end as India lost the thrilling game by just 4 runs.

Asked to bat first, Australia were 158 for 4 in 17 overs when rain intervened. India were then given a revised total of 174.  Shikhar Dhawan’s blistering fifty kept India in hunt but they eventually lost the game by four runs.

“That [team combination] is something that they have to look at. Whenever Kuldeep [Yadav] and [Yuzvendra] Chahal have bowled together, they have taken wickets, put pressure on the opposition and they have been quite successful as a pair. That is where the Indian cricket team have to think about what is the combination going forward,” Harbhajan Singh told India Today.

Harbhajan, who has enough experience of playing Down Under, further said that the team should include specialist bowlers in tough conditions of Australia.

“We might not see Krunal Pandya batting at 6 and bowling his four overs. He is more of a bowler who bowls a few overs here and there but in Australia, you need someone else to bowl those four overs because he doesn’t spin the ball and bowls it really, really fast,” Harbhajan Singh said.

“I think we will get to see Chahal in the next game and it could be in place of Krunal. There are a lot of problems that need to be solved before we get into the World Cup, the spin department especially. We need Chahal, if not this game then we will need him in the next game,” added the 38-year-old.

India will be looking to level the three-match series when they take on the hosts in the second T20I on Friday in Melbourne.