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Explained: Why Australia picked Xavier Bartlett and dropped Nathan Ellis for 2nd ODI vs IND

Debashis Sarangi

Xavier Bartlett replaced Nathan Ellis [Source: AFP]Xavier Bartlett replaced Nathan Ellis [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to bowl first in the second ODI against India at Adelaide Oval. While India have gone with an unchanged combination, the Australians have made three changes, bringing Alex Carey, Adam Zampa and Xavier Bartlett in place of Josh Philippe, Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Ellis, respectively. 

Reasons why Australia dropped Ellis and included Bartlett

Nathan Ellis had a decent game in the first ODI against India, registering bowling figures of one for 29 in 5 overs. More importantly, the CSK pacer took the prized scalp of Indian captain Shubman Gill; so, his exclusion from the playing XI for the second ODI surprised everyone. 

However, here are some key reasons why Australia took the bold call and replaced Ellis with Xavier Bartlett. 

Bartlett's new ball bowling prowess

  • Xavier Bartlett pitches the ball up and swings the new ball. He is a tall bowler, who can test the Indian batters by hitting the corridor of uncertainty around the off stump. His ability to pitch the ball up and force the batters to commit mistakes can be handy on Adelaide's surface, where the bowlers are required to hit the full length to reap rewards. Thus, Bartlett is a more ideal choice than Nathan Ellis, who generally bowls slightly back of the length. 

Rotation policy

  • Another reason behind the snub of Natha Ellis and the inclusion of Xavier Bartlett could be the Australian management's knack for rotating their pacers. It's important to note that Australia are hit by several injury setbacks, with the likes of Pat Cummins, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson and Ben Dwarshuis still recovering from their injuries. 
  • In such a scenario, it's important from Australia's perspective to rotate their fast bowlers in order to prevent further injuries. Nathan Ellis is a part of Australia's T20I squad that will take on India in three matches after the ongoing ODI series. So, this could be another reason why the Australian think tank considered resting him and keeping him fresh for the T20Is, where he will play a more significant role as their death-overs specialist. 

Australia's playing XI for 2nd ODI vs India

Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood