India vs New Zealand: Harbhajan Singh suggests team change for India after Hamilton loss

Harbhajan Singh also said that Kedar Jadhav can make way for Yuzvendra Chahal who was not present in the playing XI for the first ODI match.

Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that Virat Kohli & Co should play both Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in Auckland after losing the first ODI encounter against New Zealand in Hamilton on Wednesday. The bowlers took a lot of punishment at Seddon Park with Ross Taylor scoring an unbeaten ton and Tom Latham scoring 69 to guide their team to victory. Harbhajan pointed out that the Kiwis are comfortable against pace attacks but may struggle against the two wrist spinners. Harbhajan also said that Kedar Jadhav can make way for Chahal who was not present in the playing XI for the first ODI match.

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“I would like to see both spinners playing together - Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. This New Zealand team will play fast bowlers on any given day and they will take anyone on. But when it comes to playing spinners, it has always been a case for them. You can get those wickets in the middle overs. So I would like to see both the spinners play together. Maybe leave out Kedar Jadhav and play an extra spinner,” he told Star Sports.

Corey Anderson agreed with Harbhajan that India should play the two spinners together but added that it is unlikely to happen considering the ground sizes in Auckland where the second ODI encounter will take place.

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“I would like to see both the spinners play for the India side but I think that they will go with only one because of the small size of the ground in Auckland. I think they can bring in a quick or strengthen the batting a bit more with an all-rounder maybe,” Anderson said.

New Zealand defeated India by four wickets in the first cricket one-day international in Hamilton on Wednesday, finishing the high-scoring match at four for 348. Taylor scored an unbeaten century as the Black Caps notched their first victory against Virat Kohli’s touring Indians, after suffering a 5-0 whitewash in the T20I series.

(With agency inputs)