In the two matches so far in the ongoing T20I series, India have gone ahead with Yuzvendra Chahal as the lone wrist spinner in the squad. With the series on the line in Hamilton, the team management should take a look at the numbers before picking the playing XI.

While there is no doubting the pedigree of Chahal, his returns in the recent past have faded away when compared with Kuldeep Yadav. Chahal has only managed to pick up a solitary wicket in the 2 matches so far and has given away 72 runs in the 8 overs across the first two fixtures.

We take a look at Chahal’s efforts in overseas conditions.

And now we pitch these figures against Kuldeep Yadav against England and Australia. There are some interesting observations which can be deciphered from the comparisons.

o In ENGLAND: 2 matches – 5 wickets at an average of 11.60, eco 7.25

o In AUSTRALIA: 3 matches- 4 wickets at an average of 16.50, eco 5.50

Kuldeep’s average in away T20Is is 61.50 % better than Chahal’s 29.38.The leg-spinner takes 10 more balls to strike than Kuldeep Yadav which means that he is only able to pick up 1 wicket per match as compared to Kuldeep, who scalps 2 wickets every match.

Kuldeep has taken a 4-for and a 5-wicket haul in away conditions, whereas Chahal is yet to pick a four-wicket haul. India need to pick up wickets in the middle overs and this is where Rohit could be tempted to go in with Kuldeep. In Krunal Pandya, he already has a bowler who can bottle one end up and now when the series is on the line, a more aggressive approach could be the way forward.

First Published: Feb 10, 2019 09:19 IST