Why Did India Skip Kuldeep Yadav in the ODI?

Kuldeep Yadav, a top spinner, was left out of India's first ODI against Australia in Perth. This decision has sparked a debate among cricket fans and experts. Kris Srikkanth, a former Indian selector, is among those questioning the team's choice. India's bowling lineup in the first ODI included three all-rounders: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. Both Sundar and Patel took one wicket each, but India still lost by seven wickets. The team could only score 131 runs, which Australia easily chased down. Kuldeep Yadav has been performing well in recent matches. He has taken wickets in Tests and the Asia Cup. He also did well in T20 cricket. Yet, the team management decided not to include him in the ODI squad. This decision has left many people puzzled. Srikkanth pointed out that wrist-spinners can be match-winners. He wondered why Kuldeep was dropped. He suggested that India should play Kuldeep, Washington, and Axar. He believes spinners would do better in these conditions than medium pacers. Srikkanth also mentioned that Kuldeep did not play any matches in England earlier this year. He urged India to focus on playing the best players available. He said that the number of batters in the team should not be a concern. He believes Kuldeep should be playing for India. Srikkanth also suggested that Prasidh Krishna should have been played instead of Harshit Rana. He thinks Krishna could have done well in Australian conditions. He also highlighted that India needs wicket-taking bowlers in the middle overs. Kuldeep would be very useful in this phase.