Arshdeep Singh has not made it to the XI in the two ODIs against New Zealand so far.
Indian speedster Arshdeep Singh has not been able to find a place in the playing XI in either of the two IND vs NZ ODIs so far. The pace trio of Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna have resulted in Arshdeep Singh warming the benches.
That being said, former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his disappointment in Arshdeep’s absence in the Indian XI. Ashwin took to his YouTube channel to suggest that the left-arm speedster might be rusty if he is picked for the 3rd and final ODI.
Ashwin strongly voiced that by benching a bowler as capable as Arshdeep, they are only denting his confidence in the long run. He urged the management to step into the pacer’s shoes and think about his feelings over his non-inclusion.
“He has performed every time you have given him the ball. Give him the place he deserves. Allow him to walk into the eleven with his head held high. He deserves it boss. Now what is the use of him playing the third ODI, why did he not play the first two ODIs. What will that do to his confidence?,” said Ashwin on his podcast.
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Arshdeep Singh adds a lot of versatility to the Indian bowling line-up. He picked up five wickets in the recent three-match ODI series against South Africa at home with an overall economy of around 5.5. That being said, his accurate death bowling was impressive in the series.
In 14 ODIs so far, Arshdeep has scalped 22 wickets with a four and five-wicket haul to his name. Moreover, his economy has never been in excess of seven throughout his brief career. The pacer from Punjab can also swing the ball both ways and can bowl yorkers at will at the death.
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) speedster can also aid the spinners by creating rough patches outside the right-hander’s off-stump. To add to that, being able to move the ball both ways is an extremely valuable skill, and the 26-year-old knows how to execute that skill using various angles.
“The next time he plays, he will be rusty. Whatever you say, cricket is a game of confidence, why does this keep happening with bowlers? It never happens with batsmen. I have been in this situation myself and so I know, it is quite unfair,” said Ashwin about his non-selection.
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