With Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal bowling well, tough roads ahead for Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja: Harbhajan Singh

Courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: A day after Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal helped India beat Australia by 50 runs in the second match of the ongoing ODI series at Eden Gardens, veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh said on Friday that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will find it tough to return to playing XI.

Ashwin and Jadeja, India's first choice spin pair in Test, have also been playing the same roles in ODIs too until recently. But Yadav and Chahal have been given the honours to lead the spin attack in ODIs. Yesterday, both the rookie spinners impressed everyone with their disciplined performance. While Yadav become the first ever Indian spinner to take a hat-trick in ODIs, Chahal was brilliant in his spell which produced figures of 10-1-34-2.

Harbhajan, who himself took a hat-trick in the same venue against the Aussies in a Test match, said that Ashwin and Jadeja will have an "onerous" task to return to the Playing XI.

"It's always a difficult thing (comeback). If your current two spinners are doing well, then it becomes difficult for the senior spinners to make a comeback," the 37-year-old told PTI.

Both Ashwin and Jadeja have not been selected in the India squad for the second successive ODI series. They missed the limited-overs' leg during the tour of Sri Lanka. And it was widely reported that they were rested, or rather preserving for the Test. But the situation now has assumed a new proposition, wherein they will have to fight for their respective comebacks.

Jadeja, however, has returned to the squad after injury forced Axar Patel out. But he is yet to get a game in the series.

"For Jaddu (Jadeja) and Ashwin, it will be an onerous task to make a comeback in the ODI side.

"At the moment, these two boys (Kuldeep and Chahal) are really doing well and I don't see them being replaced by Ashwin and Jaddu. You can't predict what's in store for the future," Harbhajan added.

India lead the five-match series 2-0. India won Sunday's series opener by 26 runs via D/L method. Third match of the series will be played on Sunday (September 24) in Indore.