At the second Test of the five-match series, India defeated England by 106 runs on Monday, February 5, at Visakhapatnam, tying the series at one. England entered the game requiring 332 runs with nine wickets in hand, and they were chasing a total of 399 runs to win. But Ravichandran Ashwin (3/72) and Jasprit Bumrah (3/46) went through their batting, knocking them out for 292.
After India’s convincing victory, Rohit Sharma, the captain of the team, was spotted having a lengthy conversation with Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, possibly about choosing the squad for the three Test matches that remain. With the third test just nine days away, the BCCI is anticipated to reveal the team in the next few days.
Notably, India had released the squad for the first two games of the series.
Long discussion between Captain & chief selector after the 2nd Test.
– Important selection coming for the last 3 Tests. pic.twitter.com/j5p9vQ6lR2
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 5, 2024
The return of ace batter Virat Kohli, who withdrew from the first two Tests for personal reasons, will be the key talking point for the next three matches. However, even head coach Rahul Dravid disclosed that the board has not yet been in touch with Kohli, so there is still no confirmation regarding his availability for the balance of the series.
Significantly, former South African cricketer AB de Villiers, who is close to Kohli, recently disclosed that the Indian player has been missing from the series because he and his wife, Anushka Sharma, are expecting their second child. The famous couple hasn’t officially confirmed the rumors, though.
There will also be talks about Ravindra Jadeja’s and KL Rahul’s return, since the latter sustained an injury following the first game of the series. On the fourth day of the first test, Jadeja hurt her hamstring, and Rahul reported having soreness in his right quadriceps.
K.L. Rahul probably won’t miss the third test India vs England.
Rahul is a vital batsman for the squad; thus, it was previously reported that the management of the team decided to rest him for the second Test out of caution. However, Jadeja’s recuperation is probably going to take longer, and it’s still unclear if he’ll make a return in the second half of the series.
In addition to the two, seamer Mohammed Siraj was left off the second Test squad in order to manage his workload; he will probably be selected again. It would also be intriguing to watch if underachievers Shreyas Iyer and KS Bharat can hold onto their spots for the remaining games.
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