India’s latest selection call has reopened an old debate -- how do you fit both Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav into a side that desperately needs batting depth till No. 8? The team’s balance puzzle once again took centre stage on Tuesday night, even as individual performances from the ongoing series highlighted why leaving either out is a tough ask.
In spin-friendly conditions in the UAE, Arshdeep, India's leading wicket-taker, was benched for a majority of the games, raising a few eyebrows.
He was picked for three of the five games Down Under before making an impact in the series opener against the Proteas in Cuttack, having the dangerous caught behind with an outswinger.
The left-arm pacer's death bowling skills are also hard to match in the shortest format.
With Arshdeep in the side, another match-winner Kuldeep Yadav was left out.
In the ODI series, Kuldeep had managed to get a clutch of wickets even in heavy dew, underlining his immense value to the side.
"It is unfortunate (picking between Arshdeep and Kuldeep). The way Arshdeep is bowling (you have to pick him). He is the highest wicket-taker for you in the format," former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta told PTI.
"You would want to have both ideally but you can't (with batting needed till 8)," said Dasgupta, who is part of the commentary panel for the ongoing series.
Overall, it is a team that doesn't need a lot of fixing ahead of the World Cup but the lack of runs from skipper Suryakumar Yadav's bat is a growing concern. Vice-captain Shubman Gill could also do with a few runs.
"The win last night showed how good India is especially when it is not a watch the ball hit the ball pitch (Cuttack was a sticky surface). It says a lot about their depth," he said.
"(On SKY and Gill) I would not say a concern but ideally you would want to see them get runs. One you start thinking about runs, the chances are you won't bat freely."
"With Surya, it is not one series, we have not seen the best of him since he took over captaincy (last year)," Dasgupta added.