Ravichandran Ashwin wants 'better treatment' for Kuldeep Yadav

Former India bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday rallied behind Kuldeep Yadav, stressing that the 31-year-old left-arm wrist spinner deserved better treatment.

Yadav, who was a part of the India squad that won the ICC Men's Champions Trophy title last year, has now been left out of three of their last four ODIs, including the series opener against England on Tuesday, as the Men in Blue instead slotted in finger-spinners Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, who can also contribute with the bat.

In the series opener against England, Axar took four wickets for 62 runs and scored an unbeaten half-century, helping India chase down the 263-run target with six wickets to spare.

Although Sundar went wicketless in his four overs, he also played an important role in India's triumph with a half-century in the pursuit.

Despite the duo's notable contributions in India's six-wicket win, former bowling all-rounder Ashwin insisted that there is a place for only one of the two finger-spinners in the future as he called for better treatment for Yadav, whom he hailed as a matchwinner.

"I have an issue with the kind of treatment that Kuldeep Yadav has been given," Ashwin said.

"We're having two finger-spinners in conditions that might not have suited spin necessarily. Come South Africa, you will need Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Washy [Sundar]. Both of them [Axar and Washington] got fifties and saw us home.

"But I think there is place only for one of the two players in the future. I would love to see Kuldeep handed better treatment because he is a matchwinner."

Ashwin also drew parallels with England's combination for the first ODI in Birmingham, which featured a fingerspinner, who can also bat, Will Jacks, and an attacking spinner in the form of Adil Rashid, whom the former cricketer believes plays a similar role to Yadav in the format.

"Look at England, on the other hand. They are showing you what a good combination is. They went in with a fingerspinner who can bat, which is Will Jacks. And they went in with an attacking spinner, which is Adil Rashid, who plays a similar bowling role to Kuldeep in one-day cricket."