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India vs Australia 2nd T20I: Ravichandran Ashwin was not happy with India's decision to keep Arshdeep Singh out of the lineup for the second T20I against Australia as well. Australia took a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series with a four-wicket win against India at the MCG on Friday.

Arshdeep is one of the impressive rising talents in the Indian team and is the all-time leading wicket-taker for the Men in Blue in the T20I format. However, he has been unlucky over the past few months and has missed out on the playing XI in both games in the ongoing series, as India preferred Harshit Rana over him.

Ashwin’s remarks came on the back of India's disappointing performance in the second T20I. They were bowled out for just 125 runs after being put into bat first. The Aussies chased down the total in 13.2 overs. Rana was sent in at number seven, ahead of the much more experienced Shivam Dube, when India were going through a collapse, and scored 35 runs in 33 balls. He opened the attack with the new ball and went wicketless in two overs, conceding 27 runs.

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"Arshdeep Singh’s name should be the second name on your fast bowlers’ list if Bumrah is playing," Ashwin said on the Ash ki Baat show on his YouTube channel. "If Bumrah is not playing, Arshdeep becomes your first bowler on that team list. I just cannot understand how Arshdeep Singh keeps missing out on the XI in this side. I don’t really get it. Of course, Harshit Rana had a decent day with the bat. He batted decently, but this is not about him at all. It’s about Arshdeep Singh. The performance he put in the T20 World Cup in 2024, after that, he has consistently found ways to stay out of the team. He has been benched so many times that he has lost a bit of rhythm."

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Relying on the batting depth has been the hallmark of Gambhir’s coaching era. It began in Tests but has seeped into ODIs and T20Is as well.

Rana, who is known for his hitting ability, has been the biggest beneficiary in Arshdeep's absence as he continues to remain around the India setup across formats. Interestingly, the likes of Arshdeep, who has 101 career wickets for India in T20Is, and Kuldeep Yadav have been on the wrong side of the change.

Arshdeep continues to remain on the bench despite a vacant place with Hardik Pandya's injury as India look to bolster their batting lineup.

"We saw in the Asia Cup, he bowled well, he came back very well in the spell, but he looked rusty," he said of the left-arm pacer. "Your champion bowler will look rusty if you don’t play him. So it’s a really tough situation if you are Arshdeep Singh, and I really hope he starts getting the place he deserves. He deserves to be there, and it’s not about somebody else. He has a place in the team. Please play him," he added.

Arshdeep didn't play in any of the five-match away Test series against England. He played just two matches in the Asia Cup, which India won in the UAE. The third T20I between India and Australia is scheduled to be played in Hobart on Sunday.

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