India will be without KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja in the second Test
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second Test
- Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan are in line for a India debut
- Washington Sundar and Saurabh Kumar have been called up
Team India have been hit with a major blow ahead of the second Test match against England, which will start at Vishakapatnam on Friday (February 2), after talisman batter KL Rahul and star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were ruled out of the match, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Jadeja has suffered a hamstring injury, while Rahul has pain in his right quadriceps. The BCCI has named the uncapped duo of Saurabh Kumar and Sarfaraz Khan, as well as talented all-rounder Washington Sundar, as their replacements in the squad to face England.
India already faces a big question mark on their batting unit as they are without Virat Kohli, and both Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are struggling for form. Before Rahul’s injury, it looked likely that either one of the duos would be axed from the playing XI, However, with Rahul ruled out it is likely that both Shubman and Shreyas will now get one more chance to prove their mettle. This still leaves roam for either of Rajat Patidar or Sarfaraz Khan to make their debut.
The big question mark for the team will come in the form of Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement. While Kuldeep Yadav seems like the ideal choice as he was the reserve spinner in the squad, However, it must be remembered that Jadeja’s importance to the team as an all-rounder and a number-six batter makes it likely that Washington Sundar will play as Rohit Sharma & Co. will want to ensure they maintain their batting depth, especially with the top order struggling.
Apart from that, no major chances are expected, as KS Bharat, Ravichandran Aswhin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj will retain their places. However, India fielding Kuldeep Yadav and dropping Siraj is an option if the pitch is a spin friendly track after seeing England’s succcess on playing just one specialist pacer.
India Likely Playing XI vs England In 2nd Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj/Kuldeep Yadav
