India's Playing XI vs Australia, 2nd ODI: Kuldeep Yadav In, No Place For 22-Year-Old Star?

After losing the first ODI, the Shubman Gill-led Indian cricket team faces a must-win situation in the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide on Thursday. Due to the short turnaround time in a three-match series like this, making the most of every opportunity is crucial. In the first ODI, the top four — Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer — could not strike big, as India managed only 136/9 in a rain-curtailed 26-over match. Apart from KL Rahul and Axar Patel, none of the other batters put up a good fight. Another notable aspect of the playing XI in the first ODI was the omission of Kuldeep Yadav.

Several experts argued that the left-arm wrist-spinner could have added more potency to the Indian attack. If India are to include Kuldeep, who should be replaced? Let's take a look at India's predicted XI for the second ODI against Australia.

Though Rohit (8), Gill (10), Kohli (0), and Iyer (11) failed, they are likely to retain their spots. The Indian cricket team is generally off-colour in the first match of a series. If that trend is anything to go by, the top four will get another chance to prove themselves.

Spin all-rounder Axar Patel and wicketkeeper KL Rahul are also certainties unless there is an injury concern.

The main point to ponder will be the bowling line-up. India used three pacers — Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana — in the first ODI. Along with them, fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, 22, was also included. In the spin department, spin all-rounder Washington Sundar assisted Axar.

If Kuldeep Yadav is to enter the XI, it is highly likely that he will replace either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Harshit Rana. Rana's figures (4-0-27-0) were average, while Reddy (19 runs and 0/16) was at a similar level. It will be interesting to see if the team management decides to drop either of them.

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy/Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

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