January 30, 2024 09:41 pm | Updated January 31, 2024 07:07 am IST – VISAKHAPATNAM
Cricketers Srikar Bharat, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer arrive ahead of the second Test match towards England in Visakhapatnam on January 30, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Okay.R. Deepak
Bad issues are available threes. Maybe in fours, within the case of the Indian cricket workforce.
A defeat at dwelling after taking a lead of 190 is dangerous sufficient, however being pressured to rejig the eleven for the subsequent sport could be fairly a problem. India certainly has to type a couple of issues out earlier than the second Test towards England begins right here on Friday.
Mohammed Shami has been out of motion, as a result of of an ankle harm, since his spectacular present on the World Cup. Then, Virat Kohli pulled out of the squad for the primary two Tests as a result of of private causes.
Okay.L. Rahul was the plain option to occupy Kohli’s No. 4 place and the Karnataka batter justified the workforce administration’s religion in him by making a wonderful 86 within the first innings, however reported a proper quadriceps ache and won’t play right here.
The solely Indian who scored greater than Rahul at Hyderabad additionally sustained an harm and isn’t out there, both. Ravindra Jadeja will probably be badly missed. He isn’t merely a world class spinner however a reassuring presence within the middle-order, to not point out his left-handedness.
Remember, there isn’t a Rishabh Pant, both; the dashing left-hander continues to be recovering from the accidents he sustained from a automobile accident over a yr in the past. It maybe isn’t the very best of occasions to be the Indian coach, captain or selector.
They must make some decisions throughout the subsequent couple of days earlier than the workforce takes on a history-making, raring-to-go England aspect on the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium.
Obvious possibilities
An Indian batter is sure to make his Test debut on that floor. Rajat Patidar, Kohli’s substitute, had joined the workforce on the eve of the Hyderabad Test, whereas Sarfaraz Khan was named within the squad on Monday. They each have performed for India-A towards the touring England Lions and have had appreciable success.
Patidar, the top-order batter from Madhya Pradesh who made his ODI debut in South Africa final month, had scores like 111 and 154 towards the Lions at Ahmedabad. Sarfaraz, Mumbai’s run-machine extraordinaire within the middle-order, had scores reminiscent of 96, 55 and 161.
The workforce administration could not discover it simple to fill the Jadeja-shaped gap. Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wrist spin is a superb possibility – he has been in glorious kind with the white ball and from his eight Tests, he has three five-wicket hauls —however, of course, he’s no all-rounder.
Washington Sundar is. He made 62 in his first Test innings and within the second, he hooked Pat Cummins for a surprising six that modified the course of India’s historic chase on the Gabba towards Australia three years in the past. The off-spinning all-rounder scored 96 not out in his final Test innings.
India’s different spinning possibility, Saurabh Kumar, may also bat, and has two First Class tons of. It can be fascinating to see if the host would contemplate taking part in simply the one seamer in Jasprit Bumrah and play a spinning all-rounder.
