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At first glance, it might seem like Team India are bound to make drastic changes to their playing XI for the upcoming third ODI against Bangladesh.
The visitors have already lost the series and will not have much at stake on Saturday, December 10 in Chattogram. More importantly, Rohit Sharma, Kuldeep Sen and Deepak Chahar will miss the fixture with injuries.
However, the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Rajat Patidar, who have been part of India's squad throughout the series, are still unlikely to feature in the XI. Fans have demanded their inclusion for a while now, but the batting duo might have to wait a bit longer to make their ODI debuts.
Here are three reasons why India might not play Tripathi and Patidar in the third ODI against Bangladesh.
#3 India's big guns need time in the middle
Rohit has flown back to India and will miss the third ODI, but the other big guns in the batting department need to spend time in the middle. Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli have been rather unimpressive in 50-over cricket of late and will need to step up their game immediately.
The trusted policy of resting and rotating in a dead rubber only works if the removed players are in good nick, which is something that can't be said about Dhawan and Kohli. It would also be harsh to rest Shreyas Iyer since the batter is in an excellent vein of form, while KL Rahul is the skipper.
That leaves two options. The first option is for India to go in with five bowling options by sacrificing an all-rounder, which is unlikely. The second is to either squeeze Tripathi in as an opener alongside Dhawan, or squeeze Patidar in at No. 3 by making Dhawan open with Kohli like he did in the second ODI. However...
#2 Ishan Kishan is ahead of them in the pecking order
India have stuck to their pecking-order philosophy for the most part, and Ishan Kishan is ahead of both Tripathi and Patidar right now. The southpaw has both opened the innings and played in the middle order, and while his inclusion would make the lineup southpaw-heavy, that isn't likely to bother the management.
Kishan has scores of 10, 93, 20 and 50 in his last four ODIs. While is average is somewhat underwhelming in the mid-30s, he has done enough to warrant being picked over the uncapped duo. He could open the batting alongside Dhawan, with the rest of the order remaining the same.
#1 Kuldeep Yadav has been added to India's squad for the 3rd ODI
A late addition to the Team India squad for the third ODI, Kuldeep Yadav is the freshest face in Chattogram for the Men in Blue. His inclusion seems to be a clear indication that he'll play on Saturday, since there was no other reason for the side to make such a late call.
Kuldeep would add variety to the Indian bowling attack, with India having struggled with just two spinners in the first two ODIs. It would also mean that Rahul and Co. are bound to go in with six bowling options again, since they need at least three pacers.
Kuldeep's arrival has taken away the chances of India fielding an extra batter in the final ODI, perhaps indicating that Tripathi and Patidar might once again be restricted to substitute-fielding duties.
