Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar have had more opportunities as a result of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s absences from the second Test match against England. The former was in the running for a while, but he wasn’t able to take the field until the selectors called him to step in for the injured KL Rahul. However, Patidar has been considered for a while as well, even if he hasn’t yet made his Test cricket debut.
The Indian squad is now searching for a replacement for Shubman Gill, who is expected to stay in the playing XI, and Shreyas Iyer, who is expected to stay at number four. Given that one of Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar is anticipated to make their Vizag debuts, both are under consideration. Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player, said of them that both are capable of winning matches and should be picked because of their ability to perform effectively on wickets that favour spin.
“Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar are very valuable. They have scored a lot of runs in the Ranji Trophy and perform well on wickets that are spin-friendly.
They don’t come from the international white-ball cricket circuit, which makes your defense more vulnerable. It is fantastic news for India that they are prepared for a match. They can exert pressure on England’s spin bowling,” Chopra posted on his YouTube page.
Notably, in the second innings of the first Test in Hyderabad, the Indian batsmen were unable to muster any resistance against the English spinners. England spinner Tom Hartley wrecked havoc in the middle order, leaving the middle-order batters unable to offer any steadiness. The visitors prevailed by 28 runs in the second inning thanks to his seven wickets.
Kuldeep Yadav will most likely replace the injured Ravindra Jadeja in the starting XI in the interim. The team management may also think about playing Washington Sundar, who may provide further depth to the batting unit.
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