The conditions at the Adelaide Oval are usually known to be batsman-friendly. However, a bit of lateral movement there cannot be ruled out altogether, which former Australia opener Matthew Hayden had said after the first ODI in Perth.

Looking back at last season’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India, in their 10-wicket defeat to the Australians, fell short of even 200 in both innings, losing all their 20 wickets to the rival quicks. That only reflects how much assistance the Adelaide Oval surface had for fast bowlers.

So, in their must-win game against Australia in the second ODI on Thursday, India need to be a little more careful with their selection of the third specialist seamer alongside Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.

In Perth, the team management chose Harshit Rana as the third specialist quick, and he went wicketless, conceding 27 runs off his four overs. Yes, the 23-year-old and his senior pace colleagues had few runs to defend as India struggled on the lively Perth track to post only 136/9 in the rain-affected game reduced to 26-overs-a-side contest. But barring the odd occasion or two when he beat the batter, Harshit was quite erratic in his spell.

Assuming the weather won’t play spoilsport on Thursday and a full 50-over game will be possible, should India go ahead with Harshit or bring in Prasidh Krishna?

Of course, Harshit, who had picked up 10 wickets in his first five ODI appearances before the Perth one-dayer, enjoys head coach Gautam Gambhir’s backing. That said, all of the Delhi pacer’s 10 wickets so far have come on slow, flat Asian pitches. For success Down Under, he has to alter his length and make the necessary adjustments.

Prasidh, on the other hand, is a much more confident bowler since The Oval Test in August, where he complemented Siraj’s massive effort with four wickets in each innings in India’s narrow six-run victory over England. Obviously, Prasidh’s inclusion doesn’t guarantee India instant success, but is it fair to keep a player out of the XI when he has grown in confidence?

Being the highest wicket-taker in this year’s IPL with 25 scalps (from 15 games) is also an indication of the improvement the Karnataka quick has undergone, bowling with the white ball.

“Earlier, Prasidh used to bowl a little too short, struggling to hit the hard length. But since that Oval Test, he appears to be a better bowler when it comes to pitching the ball fuller. His improvement was seen in the IPL too when he got so many wickets, making good use of variations like the wide yorker,” Karnataka bowling coach Mansur Ali Khan told The Telegraph on Monday.

Kuldeep puzzle

A potent wicket-taker for Team India in all formats lately, Kuldeep Yadav was benched in Perth, with off-spinner Washington Sundar preferred because of his ability with
the bat.

India already have two more all-rounders in the XI in the form of left-arm spinner Axar Patel and seamer Nitish Kumar Reddy. So, is it necessary to include another all-rounder at the expense of an in-form bowler who can make a difference as a left-arm wrist spinner?

Besides, Australian conditions usually favour specialists instead of multi-taskers. What also bodes well for Kuldeep is the phenomenal success he has had in limited-overs cricket since his comeback after recovery from groin injury. It’s not easy for spinners to dominate in Australia, but for an unconventional spinner like Kuldeep, there could always be a trick in the offing.