Vice-captain Virender Sehwag has defended India's decision to use as many as five slow bowlers in the tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka.

While Ravichandran Ashwin and Rahul Sharma are the two specialist spinners, Ravindra Jadeja the spinning all-rounder and Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina the part-timers, seamer Irfan Pathan is continually left out of the equation.

On the hard, fast pitches in Australia, Irfan's selection seems a must. But the brains trust has instead benched him, preferring an attack lined with fast bowlers Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar and the quintet of slow bowlers. The same happened in last week's two Twenty20 Internationals. The strategy hasn't served India well, with just one of the last three matches resulting in triumph for the tourists.

Opportunity knocks for the visitors to afford Pathan a game against Sri Lanka in Perth on Wedensday, but Sehwag insisted the left-armer would only enter the XI ahead of Ashwin or Sharma if the conditions demanded so.

"We are clear from day one we are going to play with two spinners if the wicket is dry, and Jadeja is an all-rounder," said Sehwag. "We can see the wicket. The captain will see the wicket, and make the decision. Maybe Perth is different so we can play three or four fast bowlers here.

"It's captain, coach and team management strategy that we can play with two spinners, especially in Melbourne for the series opener, with big boundaries. The wicket was dry, the ball was, maybe, stopping and coming. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

"In India it is difficult with spinners bowling in Powerplays. We played with two spinners in India too. Ashwin and Harbhajan played against Australia in the World Cup quarter-final."

Sehwag, meanwhile, is set for a return to the playing XI after missing the first ODI at the MCG, where the Aussies won the rain-affected match by 65 runs.

The decision to rest Sehwag and open the innings with Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar didn't go according to plan. The duo managed just seven runs between them. It is anticipated that the left-handed Gambhir will be rested for the clash against Sri Lanka.

"We are giving breaks to top three batsmen," added Sehwag. "Maybe Wednesday is somebody else's turn. Either Gautam or Tendulkar will take a break, and maybe I can play."

"If you get a break, the body's fatigue, the mental fatigue, goes away. That break is good for the players. That's why we decided the top three batsmen can be given breaks. We can rotate Tendulkar, Gambhir, Sehwag."

Sehwag looked forward to India's batting ranks - Rohit, Raina, Virat Kohli and the like - performing well. With one eye on the next World Cup, which will be hosted in Australasia, the reigning champions want their youngsters growing familiar with the conditions that will be on offer come the ODI showpiece in 2015.

"We want to give chances to the youngsters because the next World Cup is here," added Sehwag. "Make sure all the youngsters can play all the matches here, and get used to the conditions for the time they come to play for the next World Cup. It is good thinking.

"We have good youngsters. What is important is, they have to play more one-dayers so they have experience when the World Cup comes. That's our aim. When the World Cup is there, they should have played at least 75 to 100 ODIs, so they are ready for the World Cup."