• Source:JND
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With one day left for the ODI World Cup 2023, India's hopes to lift their third title are soaring high as they take on Australia in their opening match of the marquee event in Chennai on Sunday, October 8. Ahead of the match, former India star all-rounder Ravi Shastri feels that Ravichandran Ashwin will be the preferred spinner in the playing 11 over Kuldeep Yadav for the tournament.

Ashwin was included in India's 15-member squad for the marquee event in the last-minute replacement for injured all-rounder Axar Patel. Before Ashwin, young leg-spinner Kuldeep was the only pure spinner in the squad.

Despite being in red-hot form, Shastri feels Kuldeep's inclusion in playing 11 will depend on his performance early in the tournament.

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"You have to be flexible. I will go one step ahead and watch the oppositions and think how they will play whom. And now that Ashwin is in the 15, it makes a challenge for the XI all the time," Shastri told ESPNcricinfo.

"Kuldeep is not a certainty, unless he comes in and starts off brilliantly. Yes, there is no question about Kuldeep's performance. He has been bowling at his best after a long time but on a certain day and on a certain track, if the pitch is dry, you would want only two fast bowlers because there is Hardik Pandya as well," he added.

Kuldeep picked nine wickets in five Asia Cup matches for India in Sri Lanka and played a vital role in India's historic eighth title win.

On the other hand, Ashwin played in the two ODIs against Australia in the absence of Kuldeep and bagged four wickets in his comeback series.

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Earlier, legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh also picked Ashwin over Kuldeep in India's starting 11 for the quadrennial event.

“People are realising that skill is more important. It’s not like an offspinner shouldn’t bowl to right-handers. Even I mentioned that Ashwin should play if the opposition has more left-handers, but that is what the management thinks? But if I was captain of the team or part of management, I would pick my five best bowlers and Ashwin would be first or second on that list,” Harbhajan said on ESPNcricinfo.