"There is slightly more help on all pitches" - Aakash Chopra suggests a change in India's XI for AUS vs IND 2025 3rd T20I

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Men in Blue should include Arshdeep Singh in their playing XI for the third T20I against Australia. He highlighted that the early summer pitches in Australia are more helpful for the seamers.

India and Australia will square off in the third T20I of the five-match series in Hobart on Sunday, November 2. The hosts enjoy a 1-0 lead heading into Sunday's game, having registered a four-wicket win in the second match in Melbourne after the series opener in Canberra didn't yield a result due to rain.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener urged Suryakumar Yadav and company to include Arshdeep as a third frontline seamer in the playing XI, highlighting that Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy cannot play in tandem.

"There is help for fast bowlers here as well, and this is the first part of the Australian summer. So there is slightly more help on all pitches, and that brings me to the question. Play Arshdeep. I am saying go with three fast bowlers. I know there is a temptation to play Kuldeep and Varun together, but you won't be able to do that," he said (12:00).

Chopra opined that Chakaravarthy should play as the only specialist spinner, with Kuldeep making way for Arshdeep.

"I am talking more about Varun because he is the No. 1 T20I spinner at the moment. He has taken 40 wickets in the last 20 matches. So he will be my frontline spinner, along with Axar Patel, because Axar's batting is very important. I want to bring Arshdeep Singh in place of Kuldeep Yadav. As much as I love Kuldeep Yadav, three fast bowlers will be required," he observed.

Arshdeep Singh wasn't picked in India's XI for the first two T20Is against Australia. While the visitors didn't get to bowl in the first T20I, Kuldeep Yadav registered figures of 2/45 in 3.2 overs in the second game.

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"Send Harshit Rana at No. 8" - Aakash Chopra urges India to bat Shivam Dube at No. 7 in AUS vs IND 2025 3rd T20I

Harshit Rana was promoted ahead of Shivam Dube in the second T20I against Australia. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that India shouldn't send Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube in the batting order.

"Send Harshit Rana at No. 8, and send him at No. 8 only. Let Dube go at No. 7. Dube's unbeaten streak has ended, but he still needs to bat. He didn't get to bat in the first match, and in the second match, you sent him so low in the order that at one stage I started feeling, and the team might have also been feeling the same, that Dube had to be sent as the overs were about to finish," he said (13:10).

The cricketer-turned-commentator also highlighted the significance of Sunday's game for Shubman Gill.

"I think it's extremely important for Gill to score runs because he has become the vice-captain, but the Asia Cup was also sort of middling. He was looking good, but didn't score big runs. The ODI series was also not good. It was sort of very middling, and here also in the two games, he was playing well in the first match and got out early in the second," Chopra elaborated.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra urged India not to move Sanju Samson up and down the order. He opined that Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma should bat at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.