Team India was stunned by England in the opening Test match at Chennai. The visitors won the Test comprehensively by 227 runs as India were handed their first home defeat in Test since 2017. Almost everything went against India in the first Test starting with the crucial Toss. England won the Toss and put on a mammoth total in excess of 550 runs after which India was always behind the game.
Team India tried their level best but eventually lost the Test in the second session on day 5. Now, team India will surely be making some changes in their playing XI ahead of the all-important second Test. We look ahead at the 3 changes team India might make in the second Test which begins from 13th February at Chennai.
3 Changes Team India Should Make In The 2nd Test
1. KL Rahul
After Ajinkya Rahane yet again failed in both innings of the Test the management can look to include KL Rahul in the middle order. Rahane after his century at Melbourne has failed to score big and consistently had strings of low scores. KL Rahul can certainly be an option to bat at number 5 as he is a better player of spin as compared to Ajinkya Rahane.
KL Rahul in recent times has batted at number 5 in ODIs and will be relishing the opportunity to do the same in whites. Rahul has smashed 2 centuries against England in Tests included a 199 at Chennai. This change will certainly be discussed by team India management as Rahane looked ordinary in both knocks at Chennai.
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2. Kuldeep Yadav
The inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI is now almost inevitable for the second Test match. Shahbaz Nadeem proved to be costly with the ball and failed to mark any sort of impact in the first Test. Now team India is almost likely to include Kuldeep Yadav in the mix who was even expected to play the first Test.
Kuldeep will add variety in the bowling attack and will take the pitch out of the equation when if India bowls on day 1 and 2. The left-arm unorthodox spinner has played 6 Tests so far in which he has picked 24 wickets at an impressive average of 24 including two 5 wicket hauls.
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3. Shardul Thakur/ Hardik Pandya
It may be the case that team India in the next Test plays a seam-bowling all-rounder instead of a spinner in Washington Sundar. As the game progresses the Chennai pitch assists the fast bowlers as the surface consistently offers reverse swing. Hence either one of Shardul Thakur or Hardik Pandya can play in place of Sundar who wasn’t successful with the ball in the first Test match.
Both Thakur and Pandya have the ability to use the reverse swing to good effect and trouble the England batsmen. Thakur will be high on confidence after his splendid all-round performance with both bat and ball at Brisbane. On the other hand, Hardik Pandya will be keen to return in the playing XI and show his class even in the longest format of the game.
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