The highly anticipated India vs Australia ODI series kicked off at Perth's Optus Stadium, with both sides keen to begin on a strong note. For India, the series is an early rehearsal for the 2027 ODI World Cup because the conditions in Australia are likely to be similar. In the toss, Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to field first in overcast conditions, with the hope of creating early movement with the new ball. The biggest shocker, though, was from the Indian camp where Kuldeep Yadav was left out of the playing XI despite his good recent form. The left-arm wrist-spinner has been among India's best bowlers in recent times, delivering consistently in the Asia Cup and the West Indies Test series. His exclusion generated surprise among fans and experts. Also Read | Rohit Sharma Becomes Fifth Indian to Play 500 International Matches Why India Omitted Kuldeep Yadav in 1st ODI Prioritization of All-Rounders for Depth Head coach Gautam Gambhir has demonstrated a distinct penchant for multi-dimensional players in the team. In Perth, India has had three all-rounders, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The addition brings stability to the batting and bowling units. Having Axar and Washington in the middle order bolsters India's batting depth with Australia having a potent pace attack. Both players are also spin options, which is probably why the exclusion of Kuldeep was a tactical decision and not due to him being out of form. Overcast Conditions Favour Seamers Perth's skies were overcast at toss time, with prospects of rain towards the evening. In such a situation, seamers tend to get extra swing and bounce. The Optus Stadium pitch provides natural bounce and pace, providing fast bowlers with an advantage over spinners. Therefore, India entered with three frontline pacers, hoping that they could reap the benefits of the weather and the pitch. Spinners have a limited job to do in such conditions, so it makes sense for the side to go for a seam-oriented combination. Also Read | ‘Wave Goodbye to the Trophy’: Kris Srikkanth Ignites Debate with ODI Team Selection Extra Bounce Suits Finger Spinners Australian pitches provide an added bounce, which usually favors the finger spinners as compared to the wrist spinners. Washington Sundar, with his potential to get bounce and keep the lines tight, is well suited to such conditions. While Kuldeep is dependent on turn and drift, something which is more difficult to create in Perth, the management supported Sundar and Axar to split the spin responsibilities with more control and ability to get used to local conditions.