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'Only India can explain': Salman Butt questions Virat Kohli for dropping Chahal, benching Ashwin against Pakistan
Questions have been raised on the selection of Hardik Pandya who was not available to bowl, and even former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes that India should have picked at least one more spin bowling option in the playing XI.
India's T20 World Cup opening game defeat against Pakistan has put Virat Kohli's unit under some pressure. While one defeat does not mean the end of the world for Kohli & co. who have dominated in all three formats in recent times, and also convincingly won both their warm-up games against England and Australia but they face New Zealand next in what is being deemed as a virtual quarterfinal as Pakistan have beaten both the sides in Group 2.
The matter of worry, if any, would be the insipid showing by the Indian bowlers as they failed to get any wickets against Pakistan. Questions have been raised on the selection of Hardik Pandya who was not available to bowl, and even former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes that India should have picked at least one more spin bowling option in the playing XI.
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Kohli went with Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy as his two spin bowling options, both of whom were unable to get any spin from the surface.
Speaking in a video uploaded on his Youtube channel, Butt questioned why Yuzvendra Chahal was not selected in the squad, and why R Ashwin was not picked in the starting XI, who both could have exploited the surface.
"India have a good pool of players but in conditions like Dubai, you ought to have people who can bowl 140+," Butt said.
"You need to have 2-3 options. Medium pacers are not successful here. You need to have perfect spinners or pacers who can clock 140+ consistently unless they are all-rounders. India have quick bowlers but they didn't select them. And it is not just 140 kmph, it should be quicker as well.
"Australia have three solid pacers. Afghanistan have three excellent spinners. India have Ashwin and Jadeja. Only India can explain why they did not select Chahal and why they benched Ashwin," he signed off.
India will take on New Zealand on October 31.
