IND vs ENG, 2nd Test Preview: Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer in focus as India eye comeback win in Vizag
Battered, bruised, and hurt, India will take on England in the second Test of the 5-match series in Vizag, starting Friday, 2 February.
India might have lost the opening Test match by only 28 runs in Hyderabad but it felt like a proper hammering at the hands of the inexperienced England bowling side who are still learning their trade in international cricket.
India were outplayed by England young guns – Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley in the first Test. One is the vice-captain of England at just 26 years of age and the other was playing his debut Test match in tricky conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The duo put up strong individual performances in the second innings of the game, and forced India to submit at home – only for the fourth time in the last decade.
The hosts would have wanted to hit back against the England side in the second Test, but have been handicapped to some extent due to the injuries of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, who will not be featuring in the upcoming game.
Three young ‘uncapped’ players have been added to the team, out of which at least one is assured to make a debut.
They say that a cornered lion is more dangerous and that could turn out to be true for India as well. In the recent past one of the most iconic performances in Test cricket has indeed come from a young, inexperienced Indian team, which battled against all odds to beat Australia at their own fortress – The Gabba.
Potential Debuts
India have named Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar and Sourabh Kumar as the replacements for the two injured stars. India also have options in Rajat Patidar and Dhruv Jurel who can be added into the playing XI.
At least one among these 5 players is assured to play their first Test match in Vizag and the Indian management has a tough call ahead of them as to who will get to play.
Logic dictates that the inclusion of Sundar would be a like for like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja and he may be given a go, ahead of Kuldeep Yadav or Sourabh Kumar.
A batter has to be slotted into the middle order due to the absence of Rahul and one can expect either Sarfaraz or Patidar to make his debut in the 2nd Test match.
The English side does not have the services of Jack Leach and will be forced to make a change to their playing XI. Depending on the pitch, the team might opt either for veteran pacer James Anderson or another rookie spinner Shoaib Bashir who is available to play.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
It is expected to be cloudy through the Test match but the deck is expected to be dry – similar to what was offered in Hyderabad. One can expect a slow turner in Vizag as well, which could turn out to be a little frustrating for the batters.
England opener Zak Crawley however reckons that the track looks a little greener than Hyderabad and could assist the seamers a little more through the day.
Focus on Shreyas and Shubman
India batters Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill have had a run of 10 poor innings. The duo desperately need to break the shackles in Vizag else it is possible that they could be axed from the playing XI in the third Test match.
Batting coach Vikram Rathour has asked everyone to be a little patient with both batters, but that could run out very soon if the duo fail again putting India in perilous trouble. It also needs to be noted that without the insurance of KL Rahul and Jadeja, both Shubman and Shreyas failing could turn out to be one of the game-defining moments for India.
India might look fragile and they sure are with their weakend line-up but as history suggests – the magic of Test cricket might just kick-in in the second Test match in Vizag.