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R Ashwin brutally slams Arshdeep Singh's snub from India playing XI vs NZ: ‘Resting means he gets rested like Bumrah’
Former India cricketer R Ashwin was, in particular, left shocked by Arshdeep Singh's absence from the playing XI.
Many fans and former players were left shocked as India dropped Arshdeep Singh for the first ODI against New Zealand on Sunday. With Bumrah rested, it looked like Arshdeep would lead the pace attack. However, India instead opted for Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav was picked as the specialist spinner, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in support roles. (India vs Zealand 1st ODI LIVE Score)
Former India cricketer R Ashwin was, in particular, left shocked by Arshdeep's absence from the playing XI. Taking to X, he posed an important question. He wrote, "Where-is-deep Singh? That's all #INDvsNZ."
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One fan responded that Arshdeep is in the T20 World Cup squad and was being rested. Ashwin rejected the notion that Arshdeep is being rested. He gave Bumrah's example of being rested due to workload management, which isn't the case regarding Arshdeep.
"Resting someone shouldn’t be after he gets in the squad", he wrote.
"Resting means he gets rested like Bumrah. The lack of continuity can impact rhythm and hence performance", he added.
Arshdeep was the most economical bowler for India in the recent ODI series against South Africa. He took five wickets in three matches at an economy of 5.50. The decision to bench him for the first ODI against New Zealand came as a shock to many.
The playing XI also saw Shreyas Iyer make his return to international cricket after a two-month absence. He sustained an injury during the ODI series vs Australia and had a lengthy absence from international cricket. The playing XI also saw Siraj make a comeback since November.
Meanwhile, India skipper Shubman Gill explained his team selection during the toss. He pointed out that they were trying out different combinations to see how they worked. He also pointed out that playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy proved beneficial for some players.
