After the first test match ended in a draw, both India and England will be raring to go one-up against each other in the five-match test series. The second test match begins on August 12 at Lord’s, London.
UPDATE: Play has been abandoned. ☹️
The first #ENGvIND Test at Trent Bridge ends in a draw.
We will see you at Lord's for the second Test, starting on August 12. #TeamIndia
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/TrX6JMzP9A pic.twitter.com/k9G7t1WiaB
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 8, 2021
The Indian team will be disappointed about the result in the first test match, as they were ahead of England at the end of day four. India needed 157 runs on day five to gain a 1-0 lead in the series. But as rain played spoilsport, the match was called off early. Going into the second test match, the Indian team will ke focusing on the playing XI combination.
Let’s take a look at India’s predicted playing XI for the first test match:
Rohit Sharma
Opening batsman Rohit Sharma had a decent outing in the first test match against England. He got off to a cautious start but a lapse in concentration ended his stay at the crease.
Rohit scored 36 runs off 107 deliveries in the first innings. He remained unbeaten in the second innings on 12. He will be keen to convert his starts into big scores in the upcoming test match.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul was the only Indian top-order batsman who made a substantial score in the first test match. He replaced injured Shubman Gill in the playing XI. Earlier, he scored a hundred in the warm-up match against County Select XI.
Continuing the good run, the opener hit a 214-ball 84 runs knock and held the Indian batting together. KL Rahul will be looking to cement his place in the Indian team by consistent performances in the upcoming test matches.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara came under scrutiny for his performance in the first test match. He was dismissed by a peach of a delivery by James Anderson on 4 in the first innings and was unbeaten before the match was called off in the second innings.
Batting at number 3, Cheteshwar Pujara performs the task of holding the whole batting together from one end. The Indian team will back their workhorse to come back stronger in the series.
Virat Kohli
Photo by Pankaj Nangia/ Sportzpics for BCCI
India’s skipper Virat Kohli surpassed an unwanted record of most ducks by an Indian captain in test matches. He was dismissed for a golden duck in the first inning of the first test match.
Kohli has a fantastic record against England. He averages 44.66 in 24 test matches, scoring 1742 runs. The Indian skipper will be confident of performing to his standard in the upcoming test.
Ajinkya Rahane
India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane must be frustrated with his run-out dismissal in the first test match. A brilliant direct hit by Jonny Bairstow sent Rahane packing for just 5 runs.
Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t been in the best of forms lately. Despite this, he remains one of India’s batting mainstays because of his knack for scoring runs in difficult situations.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant was brilliant behind the stumps in the first test match. Though with the bat, he did not contribute much to India’s cause. Pant scored a quickfire 25 off 20 balls, including three boundaries and one six.
The wicket-keeper batsman is one of the most dangerous batters in World cricket at the moment. He will play a key role for India in the second test match at Lord’s.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja did not bowl much in the first test match as the pacers did all the damage upfront for India. But with the bat, he continued his form from the warm-up match.
The spin bowling all-rounder scored valuable 56 runs batting lower down the order for India. In the second test match, he will be keen to contribute with the ball as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was left out from the Playing XI in the first test match. But as per reports, Shardul Thakur has suffered a hamstring injury during the practice session and has been ruled out of the second test. Ravichandran Ashwin will replace him in the playing XI.
In 2021, Ashwin has picked up 38 wickets in six test matches at an average of 18.02. Recently, playing for Surrey in the County Championship, he picked up 6 for 27 runs. Given his form off-late, Ashwin will be a major threat for the English batsmen.
Jasprit Bumrah
India’s bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah led the bowling attack from the front in the first test match. He was under pressure coming into the series but has silenced his critics after an outstanding performance.
Bumrah picked up 9 wickets in the match – a four-wicket haul in the first innings and a five-wicket haul in the second innings. On the back of his work, India managed to bowl England out in both innings. They will be hoping that Jasprit carries his form in the second test match.
Mohammad Siraj
Mohammad Siraj was brought in India’s playing XI to replace unfit Ishant Sharma. Siraj bagged three wickets in the match, including the wicket of well-set Jonny Bairstow, who was looking dangerous for a big score.
In a short test career so far, Mohammed Siraj has picked up 19 wickets at an average of 30.73 with one five-wicket haul. He will be keen to leave an impact in the second test match.
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami performed outstandingly well in the first test match. He picked up four wickets in the match, dismissing the likes of Dominic Sibley, Dan Lawrence, Johnny Bairstow, and Ollie Robinson.
Being an experienced campaigner in test matches, Mohammed Shami will be expected to lead the charge for India with the ball in the upcoming test match.