Why don't we go back to Kulcha? Harbhajan Singh suggests it's time to look beyond R Ashwin in ODI cricket
India Today
Speaking to Sports Today, Harbhajan Singh said R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal were defensive in the ODIs in South Africa and India need bowlers with X-factor to pick up wickets in the middle overs.
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said India is missing the spark in the middle-overs in ODI cricket, adding that the spinners are waiting for things to happen rather than being proactive and making things work. Harbhajan said both R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal took a defensive approach albeit on flat pitches during the recently-concluded series in South Africa.
Harbhajan Singh, speaking to Sports Today n Tuesday, said it's time to look beyond R Ashwin in ODI cricket and suggested India bring back the combination of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, popularly known as 'Kulcha'.
India suffered a 0-3 sweep in the ODI series in South Africa wherein India struggled with the ball, allowing South Africa batters to play big knocks. R Ashwin, who was brought back to the ODI squad for the first time since 2017, picked up only one wicket in 2 matches before he was benched for the 3rd ODI. Yuzvendra Chahal picked up only 2 wickets, struggling to be threatening the middle-overs.
Head coach Rahul Dravid, when assessing the team's performance after their 0-3 defeat, conceded that India's inability to pick up wickets in the middle overs is a cause for concern.
India haven't played Kuldeep and Chahal regularly together since the 2019 World Cup and the former's dip in form meant he has made sporadic appearances for the senior national team.
However, Harbhajan Singh believes there is no harm in trying out Chahal and Kuldeep together once again in ODIs. The two wrist-spinners played 36 ODIs together and picked 125 wickets between them between 2017 and 2021.
"I think these two guys (Ishant Sharma and Ashhwin) have done really well for Team India, whether you talk about Test cricket or ODIs. With all due respect to R Ashwin, I think he is a champion bowler, but in ODI cricket, I feel, it's time India start looking for an option, maybe someone who can take the ball in as well as out.
