Will India be able to counter the Bazball in the 2nd Test?
England’s Bazball was too hot to handle for India in the first Test at Hyderabad when the hosts dished out a spinning track. It may not be an exaggeration to say that perhaps India dug its own grave by opting to play on a pitch that offered spin. The inability of Indian batters to sweep to smother the spin and the lack of patience exhibited by the young Indian batters led to the team’s downfall. Despite a healthy 190-run lead, India failed to win the Test as they could not tackle the English spin and stop the free-flowing England batters.
0-1 down in the five-match Test series, India would look to bounce back as they had done in 2021 when they were in a similar position after the first Test. However, injuries to KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja would force Rohit Sharma to make the changes going into the second Test that will played from February 2 to 6 at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
Head-to-Head
India and England have played 132 Tests against each other, of which India have won 31 and England have won 51. Of the 65 Tests played in India, India have won 22 and England have won 15. The last five Tests have seen England leading by a 3-2 margin.
| India | England | |
| ICC Test Rankings | 2 | 3 |
| Head-to-Head | 31 | 51 |
| In India | 22 | 15 |
| Last 5 Tests | 2 | 3 |
Squads
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Srikar Bharat (wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel
*Virat Kohli is not available for first two Tests
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes (wicket-keeper), Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Daniel Lawrence, Gus Atkinson, Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed
Injury updates
India have suffered two big blows ahead of the second Test. KL Rahul, who scored 108 runs in the first Test and Ravindra Jadeja, who picked five wickets and scored 89 runs, are out of the second Test due to right quadriceps and hamstring injuries, respectively. Similarly, England is likely to miss the services of their most experienced spinner, Jack Leach, who snapped a couple of wickets due to an injury to his left knee.
Players to watch out
Yashasvi Jaiswal: This left-handed opening batter of India was impressive in the first Test against England. In the first innings of that Test, he scored a brilliant 80 at a strike rate of more than 100. He also got off to a start in the second innings but failed to capitalise. Having played just five Tests, this 22-year-old Mumbai batter has shown a lot of maturity.
Ravichandran Ashwin: India’s star off-spinner has the most Test wickets (16) at Visakhapatnam, where the second Test will be played. Nearing the milestone of 500 Test wickets, he will look to achieve it in the first innings of the upcoming Test. He scalped six in the first Test and would look to better his performance. In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, he will be required to shoulder additional responsibility.
Ollie Pope: England’s right-handed top-order batter won the Player of the Match award in the first Test against India. Having missed out on scoring big in the first innings, he made the most of the opportunity in the second innings as he demoralised the opposition with a 278-ball 196.
Tom Hartley: England’s left-arm spinner had a dream Test debut, claiming nine wickets in the first Test against India. Having picked just the two wickets in the first innings, he bowled exceptionally well in the second wickets to snap seven-for. Besides, his contribution with the bat was valuable, as he scored 57 runs in that match.
Pitch
The venue has hosted two Tests, and India has won both. Of the two Tests, England featured in one, which they lost. The highest innings total is 502, and the lowest is 158. Expect good conditions for batting and plenty of runs to be piled up. However, the spinners could have a vital role to play, as they have been effective at this venue in the past.
Weather
The weather is expected to see hazy sunshine. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 32 degrees Celsius. There will be 42% cloud cover and a 25% chance of rain.
Milestone Alert
- Ravichandran Ashwin needs 4 wickets to complete 500 Test wickets
- Jasprit Bumrah needs 4 wickets to complete 150 Test wickets
Match details
Date: February 2 to 6, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM
Venue: : Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Live streaming: Jio Cinema, Sports 18