IND vs ENG: India faces a problematic selection problem as they try to recover from the rare loss at home to England in their second Test. Both Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul suffered injuries in the first innings.

Jadeja injured his hamstring during the Hyderabad Test while attempting to hit a quick single. Rahul also reported soreness on his right quadriceps. The absence of the two players exacerbated the problems for the home team; they were taken aback by England’s “Baseball.”

Jadeja’s all-round skills make him virtually irreplaceable. Since recovering from surgery last September, Rahul has also been one of India’s best hitters in ODIs and tests.

Virat Kohli has been ruled out of action due to personal reasons. Virat Kohli will be missed by the management of Visakhapatnam, where the second Test starts on Friday.

Selectors Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have a wide range of options, with the additions of Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumna, and Sarfaraz.

Rajat Patidar is a logical choice. He was also one of the 15 players in Hyderabad. Kuldeep Yadav, who replaced Jadeja in the order of spinners behind R Ashwin (third) and Axar Patil (fourth), could replace Rahul.

Sarfaraz Khan Is India’s First-Ever Call-Up After KL Rahul Missed The 2nd Test

IND vs ENG: India has added Sarfaraz, Saurabh, and Washington Sundar to their squad for the 2nd Test against England. KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been ruled out because of injuries.

Sarfaraz Khan is called up for the first time after Rahul’s absence in the second Test. Sarfaraz, Saurabh, and Washington Sundar were added to the Indian team for the second Test against England.

India’s Board of Control for Cricket announced KL Rahul’s and Ravindra Jadeja’s injuries. Rahul was forced to withdraw due to a hamstring problem, while Jadeja had complained of right quadriceps discomfort.

Sarfaraz was called up to the Indian team for the first time after a recent impressive performance in a 4-day unofficial test against the England Lions at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

The 26-year-old won the Player-of-the-Match award after he scored 161 runs from 160 balls, with 18 fours and five sixes.

India A won by 16 runs and an inning on the strength of his knock. Sarfaraz scored 3912 runs in 45 first-class games at an average rate of 69.85 with a strike rate of 70.48. He has 14 centuries and eleven half-centuries.

Sarfaraz scored a top 301, not out, in a Ranji trophy match between Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh back in January 2020 in the Wankhede Stadium.

Sarfaraz scored 982 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2022, with an average score of 122.75. He also had four hundred and two fifties.

No. 4 and Middle-Order

The No.4 will be the primary concern, and it is likely that Rajat Patidar, who replaced Kohli in the team ahead of the Hyderabad test, will make his first appearance. Patidar and Sarfaraz both have First-class experience and are fresh off big hundreds against the England Lions, but Patidar will likely get the nod.

Shreyas Iyer will likely hold onto his No. 5 spot even if he has had a mediocre run in his last 10 Test innings. It will take more work to find a suitable replacement for Jadeja.

Jadeja’s contributions, both with the bat and the ball, have been vital to the Test setup over the past few years. With him gone, the batting looks depleted and needs more depth than India has enjoyed in recent tests.

In Tests, Jadeja is the equivalent of Hardik Pandya for limited-overs. You need two players to cover his absence. Will the think-tank go the specialist route now, as they did after Pandya’s injury during the 2023 World Cup? Will the think-tank focus on batting depth – especially with a new middle order – or will they focus on batting depth?

Kuldeep, Bumrah – The Only Seamen?

It’s hard to have both bowling bite AND batting depth in Jadeja’s absence. A tough decision awaits. Kuldeep is the frontrunner to be shared with spin bowling duties by R Ashwin and Axar Patel, and Kuldeep is the third spinner.

Kuldeep’s attack will vary, and it will be fascinating to see how England will approach a skilled wrist spinner. The left-arm, much faster in the air now than when he first started, could be a real threat under good conditions.

Rohit Sharma may be tempted to use Jasprit as the sole seamer if the pitch is slow and provides purchase for slower bowlers. India used Mohammed Siraj as their second seamer in the opening match, but he bowled only 11 overs.

Sundar can be used to improve the team’s bowling and batting by replacing Siraj. All these decisions will be based on the priority of management – whether it is batting depth or bowling options.

India is 0-1 behind in the series and can’t afford to make a mistake with their selection. The selectors did their part by selecting the best replacements. Now it’s up to coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit to assess the situation accurately and assemble an ideal XI.

Indian Squad Updated for 2nd Test

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.

India vs England: First Test Statistical Highlights

• India could also play four spinners and one pacer, as England did in their first match.
• If Kuldeep replaces Mohammed Siraj in this scenario, Washington or Sarfaraz Khan could be added to the squad as a middle-order reinforcement.
• Sourabh is a dark horse because he’s a good batsman with a few hundred in first-class cricket. He also bowls left-arm spin, like Jadeja.
• The ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam has hosted two Tests to date. It is a batting-friendly pitch, at least during the first innings.
• In 2019, when India batted first in this venue, they scored 502 points. Mayank Agarwal recorded a double century, and Rohit put up a quick score of 176 during his first-ever Test innings.
• Anil Kumble, the legendary spin legend, believes Kuldeep’s inclusion in the eleven will help.
• Kuldeep is an excellent option for India if they feel that only one fast bowler is needed. Kumble said that England would come to Hyderabad and play the same game as they did there.
• “The pitch could be turning, and we expect the pace to go faster than this.” It was a slow wicket, but it could be a good one if you put in the effort. India needs to be more disciplined in their approach when playing against spin.

England’s Tom Hartley and Ollie Pope star in the first Test against India

ENG vs IND: They will have to devise some new plans. “They never tried any variation, so that’s what I am sure they’ll be looking at doing,” he said, referring to England’s relentless sweep tactic.

Washington, a left-handed batting batsman who bowls off-spin with his right hand, has also made a strong case for selection after showing a lot during his four-year Test career.

After his historic Test win at the Gabba, he played three home games against England in 2021.

Washington scored 85 and 96 runs in five innings, respectively, in the series. They also took two wickets in a match dominated by Ashwin, Axar, and the other front-line spinners.

Sandeep Singh was the former selector during whose tenure Washington’s Down Under debut took place. He said Washington is an all-rounder but would want to keep the starting eleven the same.

“It’s pretty simple for me.” Kuldeep replaces Jadeja, and Rajat Patidar replaces Rahul. We don’t have to play four spinners like England. Our strength has always been playing with two pacers and three spinners at home. “We need to stick with it,” said the ex-India spinner.

He believes it is better for the team if Shubman Gill, who has been under fire recently, opens the innings with Yashasvi.

Gill, who replaced the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara at the top of the order, had stated that he wanted to play three. However, he has yet to replicate his whiteball format in the traditional form.

“Gill does not belong in the number three position. He should be the opener. Rohit can spin well and drop down so that Gill can be at the top.

Wasim Jaffer, a former Indian opener, also shared similar views.

Gill and Jaiswal are the best openers, and Rohit is the best batsman for the 2nd Test. Shubman’s inability to wait for his turn at bat is not helping him. He should open it. Rohit is a good spinner, so batting no.3 shouldn’t worry him much,” Jaffer wrote on X.

KNOW MORE: NOW VIRAT KOHLI WILL BE NOT PART OF THE GAME FOR 1ST TWO TEST AGAINST ENGLAND, SEE HERE