Crucial Changes India Must Make for the Second ODI
The first match of the ODI series in Perth should have been a fiery and evenly contested affair, but it turned into a complete rout. The hosts effortlessly dominated the field, leaving the Indian team bewildered and with a lot of problems. What went wrong and, more importantly, what crucial changes India must make for the second ODI?
Crucial Changes India Must Make for the Second ODI: The Main Mistake
It wasn’t just a loss, but a real wake-up call for the entire team. The Indian batsmen, disrupted by rain interruptions, looked completely lost and could only score 136 runs. And what about the Australians? They achieved their goal so easily that the fans were left breathless—not with delight, but with bewilderment. After such a failure, it is simply impossible to leave everything as is. It’s time to shake things up and make some key, even painful, changes.
The biggest question after the squad was announced in Perth was: “Where is Kuldeep Yadav?” The decision to leave him out of the game and put Washington Sundar in was, to put it mildly, strange.
Kuldeep was simply magnificent in the recent Asia Cup, he was the one who tore apart the opponents’ innings. He has a magical power over the Australians in ODIs.
Sandar, of course, took one wicket, but gave away seven runs per over, creating virtually no threat. This is an ODI, not a friendly match. The Australians usually get lost against quality spin. And a left-hander like Kuldeep is a rare and dangerous weapon that would be a shame to miss. It’s time to correct this mistake and bring back to the team someone who can turn the tide of a game with a flick of the wrist.
And what was going on with fast bowling? Hashit Rana, who for some reason was chosen to be a bowler for all three formats, was literally crushed by the Australian batsmen. His serves were inaccurate, he allowed his opponent to score easy runs time after time, and his morale seemed to be completely broken. After such a performance, it’s simply impossible to put him back on the field hoping for a miracle.
It’s time to give Prisidh Krishna a chance. What can he offer? First of all, control. His long frame allows him to squeeze that extra speed and bounce out of Australian pitches that Rana was missing. Imagine how Australian batsmen, accustomed to his inaccurate delivery, will be faced with his precise and aggressive bowling. This could be one of those Crucial Changes India Must Make for the Second ODI.
Not only the team’s composition, but also the mentality is in question
Of course, changing the entire team because of one disastrous match seems like panic. But some decisions are simply self-evident. Look at Australia, they’re making some small changes by bringing Adam Zampa and Alex Carey back into the squad. And what about India? Practice in Adelaide showed that Rohit Sharma, a player under immense pressure, arrived at training 45 minutes earlier than everyone else. This says a lot. While Virat Kohli took a day off the day before.
The team is at a crossroads. The defeat in Perth was humiliating, but it also provides a clear plan to correct its mistakes. Bringing back Kuldeep means getting a wicket-taking threat in the middle innings. Replacing Rana with Krishna means regaining control of the ball. This aren’t just changes in the lineup, it’s a change of tactics and attitude. Will Shubman Gil’s team be able to learn this hard lesson and make those Crucial Changes India Must Make for the Second ODI? We will find out the answer to this question very soon, and the fate of the entire series depends on it.
