5 selection blunders that cost India in Test cricket in 2018

#1 Not picking a spinner in the Perth Test

Vihari was India's part-time spinner and did a lot of bowling in both innings.

For the first time in the history of the India-Australia rivalry, India won the first Test of a series in Australia. They beat the hosts by 31 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. However, ahead of the second Test, Ravichandran Ashwin who starred in the first game was ruled out with some abdominal pain and groin injury concerns.

On a spicy looking pitch at the new Optus Stadium in Perth, India opted to play four seamers. Right from the time, Virat Kohli announced the team at the toss, there were big question marks as Ravindra Jadeja who would’ve been an able replacement for Ashwin was ignored.

However, as the game went along, India were once again proved wrong as Nathan Lyon went on to pick eight wickets in the match, including a fifer in the first innings.

Virat Kohli and company paid a heavy price for not picking a spinner as India lost the game by a big margin (146 runs). India’s fourth pacer Umesh Yadav looked lacklustre and way off target. Not only Jadeja but also Bhuvneshwar Kumar would've been a better choice in those conditions. The inclusion of one of these two would've also strengthened the lower-order a little bit. Hence, the team once again misread the conditions.