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On Monday (Dec 23), India included uncapped spin-bowling all-rounder Tushar Kotian as a replacement for R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket after the India-Australia Gabba Test in Brisbane last week.

Questions were raised with Kotian's addition as India had more experienced options such as Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.

In the press conference ahead of the fourth and penultimate Test versus Australia, i.e. the Boxing Day encounter in Melbourne, captain Rohit Sharma explained the team management's stance.

Rohit said, "Tanush was here a month back and Kuldeep doesn't have a visa.

We needed someone to get here as quickly as possible.

Tanush was ready and played well here.

But jokes apart, he has been doing well over the last two years and we wanted a backup in case we play two spinners in Sydney or Melbourne."

He further said, "Kuldeep is not 100 per cent fit as he went through a hernia surgery.

Axar recently had a baby so was not going to travel.

Hence, Tanush was the best option for us and he was probably one of the reasons why Mumbai went on to win the Ranji trophy last season,” he said.

Talking about Kotian, the 26-year-old has played 33 first-class games, claiming 101 wickets at 25.70.

In addition, he accounted for 1,525 runs in 47 innings, at 41.21 with two centuries and 13 fifties.

Thus, India now have three spin-bowling options in the form of Kotian, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for the remaining two Tests in the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).

The pitch in the last two Tests, especially the series finale in Sydney, is likely to assist spinners. 

At present, the BGT is tied at 1-1 after India won the series opener in Perth, lost the following day-night Test in Adelaide before both sides settled for a draw in Brisbane.