India has botched its bowling attack for the Australian tour with a pair of high-profile snubs, former Aussie captain Ian Chappell says.
Omitting left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the first two ODI matches and leaving veteran beanpole paceman Ishant Sharma out of the Test squad look like two major missteps from India, according to Chappell.
Yadav has been missed in the one-dayers, with preferred leg-spinner Yuzvendra Singh Chahal taking a combined 1-160.
Meanwhile, India's paceman have lacked penetration and Chappell feels that Sharma's height would have been a valuable point of difference come the Test series.
Even with champion batsman Virat Kohli leaving after the first Test, Chappell rates India's bowling as by far its biggest concern.
"I don't think the batting will be so much of a problem but the bowling is starting to look like it might be a bit thin," Chappell told Wide World of Sports.
"I can't believe they're going for Chahal ahead of Kuldeep Yadav. The thing that that line-up has missed badly in the last two games is guys to take wickets.
"When you've got three guys there who really don't look like taking a wicket, other than the batsmen committing hari kari, that then makes the job more difficult for [Mohammed] Shami and [Jasprit] Bumrah, who are two wicket-taking bowlers.
"They've got to think about their economy rate as well, so instead of thinking about how they can get wickets, they're thinking a bit about taking wickets and a bit about containing. They just don't look like getting anyone out, other than the batsmen hitting one straight up in the air."
Sharma has an underwhelming record in Australia – 13 Tests for 31 wickets at 48.54 – but has always been a willing combatant for the Aussies and boasts 97 matches' worth of experience, with 297 career scalps.
He fared better on his last trip Down Under, taking 11 wickets at 23.81 from three matches. Bumrah had a magnificent Test series in Australia two years ago, taking 21 wickets at 17.00 from four matches.
"They're probably lucky that the first Test is in Adelaide and a day-nighter, because that's the one that probably could suit their bowling style best of all," Chappell said.
"But you notice the Australian attack have got more options, because they're a bit quicker but they've also got the height and they can take advantage of the extra bounce in Australia.
"Whereas Shami and Bumrah are more skidding type bowlers, so they're really not able to go that other option; where the Australians, if they're in a bit of trouble, they can bang a few in short and test out the batsmen's horizontal bat shots.
"Last time, India had Ishant Sharma, he's a lot taller and could take advantage of the bounce. It's now looking like he's going to be a big loss in this series."
Another veteran quick, Umesh Yadav, is in the Test squad but is another skidding-type bowler. Lively paceman Navdeep Saini has won some admirers in the first two ODI matches but having only taken a combined 1-153, Australia have had his measure.
"As soon as Saini came on [on Sunday], Warner and Finch, it was as though this fellow doesn't do anything with the ball," Chappell said.
"They [commentators] are talking about his pace but it's no good having pace if it's gun-barrel straight; it'll just get hit further. You can tell from the way they treated him as soon as he came on that one, they had complete faith in the pitch, and two, they didn't think he was going to move the ball at all.
"Once a guy's not moving the ball, either through the air or off the pitch, it's so much easier to line them up. With a good pitch and the modern bat, they're lining bowlers up and you're only allowed two men out [during a powerplay] … good luck to the bowling side."
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