India, Oct. 21 -- Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticised the decision to drop Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI for the first ODI in Perth. Kuldeep, in excellent form during the Asia Cup and the West Indies Test series, was overlooked as India opted for batting depth, selecting Washington Sundar instead. Nitish Kumar Reddy made his ODI debut in Perth, while Kuldeep remained on the bench.

For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann stood out by picking up two key wickets in challenging overcast conditions, highlighting India's decision to overlook Kuldeep Yadav-a move that drew scrutiny on head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill.

Srikkanth questioned the exclusion of Kuldeep, praising Kuhnemann and India's spinners whil...