India playing XI for Chennai ODI: Yashasvi Jaiswal to start with Rohit Sharma, Nitish Reddy returns; Arshdeep is likely to rest

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Reddy (Image Agency) TimesofIndia.com in Chennai: India may have already sealed the ODI series against Afghanistan, but the final match in Chennai is far from a dead rubber. It is another opportunity for the team management to tick the boxes on the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup, test the combinations and most importantly ensure that every player in the team gets a meaningful opportunity.One of these players is opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal.The left-hander suffered a disappointing performance in the previous ODI, but India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate made it clear that one failure will not cost him his place. Jaiswal is ready for another opportunity, a reflection of the management’s determination to give fringe players a proper run rather than judging them on the basis of a single innings.“We also want to look at Yashasvi Jaiswal again. He didn’t get runs in the last match, so he will get another opportunity,” said Doeschate on the eve of the third ODI.The report from the Indian camp was consistent. Winning remains first, but so does building depth. This balance is evident in the likely changes for Friday’s game.Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, who has impressed in the first two matches, is likely to be rested as part of the workload. The batting order will also undergo a change, with the top three remaining the same. Between Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, one will be missing as both all-rounders Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to feature in the playing XI. “We will make a few changes from the first two games. Part of the brief for the series was that we wanted to try a few different combinations and give everyone a fair share of games. Someone like Arshdeep played very well in the first two games; he can probably rest tomorrow and the same goes for one of the batsmen. We will change them and go back to playing a slightly different side,” he added. This flexibility has become one of India’s greatest strengths in white-ball cricket. Several batsmen are able to occupy multiple positions, allowing the management to experiment without significantly weakening the side. The same philosophy applies to the all-rounders as well, where Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube are rated for different roles.According to Ten Doeschate, Nitish remains an important long-term investment.“Nitish has shown over the last 18 months how important he can become to this team. His body is getting stronger and we see him as a natural reinforcement for Hardik.”Still, the focus remains firmly on Jaiswal.Few players in Indian cricket have had to deal with such stiff competition to be at the top of the order. With Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, opportunities were limited for the southpaws. Ten Doeschate acknowledged the challenge of managing a team brimming with batting talent.“In a series like this against Afghanistan, you might say we can take our foot off the pedal a bit, but yes, we want to look at people like Jaiswal. “He’s someone who’s been waiting in the wings because of the quality and depth we have at that position. But I certainly feel like the first priority is always to win the series and field our best team.” “One of the slips in this series was making sure the team was rotated and everyone played. So Jaiswal will get a few chances and it’s incredibly difficult because there’s so much quality. But he’s one of those guys who, when he gets the odd chance, he’s got to score.”This perhaps sums up India’s selection philosophy better than anything else. There is patience, but also strong competition. Players will be given opportunities, but they will also be expected to take them quickly. For Jaiswal, Chennai represents another audition. For India, this is another step towards identifying the combinations that could shape their campaign in the next 18 months.