Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya and batsman KL Rahul have been suspended from the team for making inappropriate comments when they appeared on popular television show, “Koffee With Karan”.
But in the midst of this controversy, captain Virat Kohli and team management also have to find the perfect combination for the first ODI against Australia on Saturday.
Hardik and Rahul have been in the eye of the BCCI and CoA ever since the latest episode of Karan Johar’s talk show ‘Koffee with Karan’ aired on Sunday in which they were seen bragging about their relationships with multiple women and also made sexist comments.
However, Captain Kohli has distanced the team from the controversy by saying that the side does not stand by the duo on the issue and also clarified that Ravindra Jadeja is ready to be drafted into the playing XI in place of Pandya.
“We played in India against the West Indies with a finger spinner and a wrist spinner. So it’s good that we have someone like Jadeja who can do the all-rounder’s role if a scenario like that occurs,” Kohli said on the eve of the first ODI against Australia.
“So we are not too stressed as a team (about the Pandya situation) because you’ll always have things that you can do in terms of creating that balance for the side. And hence, we keep players who can provide balance with bat and ball as a backup anyway,” he added.
With the match being played in Sydney where the pitch assists the slower bowlers more than the pacers, India might be tempted to play three spinners in Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jadeja in the first ODI.
